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The Quarterly Publication of 
the Historical and Philosoph¬ 
ical Society of Ohio 







CINCINNATI 


OHIO 



Vo!. X, 1915. Nos. 2 & 3 
APRIL-JULY 






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Entered at the PosT-OmcE at Cincinnati as Second-Class Matthb 



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Historical and Philosophical 
Society of Ohio 

Burnet Woods, - Cincinnati , Ohio 


OFFICERS 


JOSEPH WILBY, - 
FRANK J. JONES, - 
HOWARD C. HOLLISTER, 
CHARLES T. GREVE, - 
FREDERICK W. HINKLE, 
ALBERT H. CHATFIELD, - 
MISS L. BELLE HAMLIN, 
DAVIS L. JAMES, - 
MERRICK WHITCOMB, - 
ELLIOTT H. PENDLETON, - 
JAMES W. BULLOCK, 
WILLIAM LYTLE FOSTER, 


President. 

Vice-President. 
Vice-President. 
Corresponding Secretary, 
Recording Secretary. 
Treasurer. 

Librarian. 

- Curators. 


COMMITTEE IN CHARGE OF PUBLICATION 


CHARLES T. GREVE. FREDERICK W. HINKLE 

MISS L. BELLE HAMLIN 








Francis Collins, the writer of the following Journal, was 
born 1820, in Lowville, Lewis Co., New York. His parents were 
Ela Collins and Maria Clinton, the children of General Oliver 
Collins and the Rev. Isaac Clinton. Both families had been 
long known and respected in connection with the early history 
and settlement of New England. Francis Collins received his 
early education at the Lowville Academy, and in 1841, he was 
appointed to and entered West Point, as a member of the class 
of 1845. Being graduated with the rank of Second Lieutenant in 
the Fourth Artillery, he was employed in the recruiting service 
in Virginia and North Carolina. On the breaking out of the 
Mexican War, he engaged in active service. According to the 
record of the Army Register, Mr. Collins was Second Lieuten¬ 
ant, August 18, 1846; First Lieutenant, September 13, 1847; 
resigned December 11, 1850. Brevet rank; Brevet First Lieu¬ 
tenant, August 20, 1850 for gallant and meritorious conduct at 
Contreras and Churubusco. 

At the close of the war Lieutenant Collins was put in charge 
of a ship conveying troops*to the North. Yellow fever broke 
out among the men and made terrible ravages. Amidst the 
horrors of such a situation, Mr. Collins displayed heroic qual¬ 
ities in nursing. Although stricken with the disease himself, 
he did not give way until he had landed his men at Fortress 
Monroe. He lay then at the point of death for many days, and 
probably never recovered entirely from the effects of the dis¬ 
ease. After two more years of service he resigned, and studied 
law in the office of the Hon. William S. Groesbeck of Cincinnati. 
Being admitted to the bar in 1851, he took up his residence in 
Dayton, O. In 1852, he married Helen, a daughter of the Hon. 
Alfred Kelley of Columbus, O. In 1853, Mr. Collins removed 
to Columbus, where he resided until his death. In 1856, he 

37 


was elected to the City Council and served two years. During 
the many years of his residence in this city he filled many public 
and responsible positions with marked ability and integrity. 

Francis Collins was a brother of William Collins of Cleve¬ 
land and of Isaac Clinton Collins of Cincinnati, both well-known 
Ohio lawyers. Colonel J. T. Holmes of Columbus, O., says of 
Mr. Collins in his Memorial printed in the reports of the Ohio 
State Bar Association, Vol. 9, 1888: 

“Of medium height, sturdy build, dark-featured, black hair 
and eyes, courtly manners, kind-hearted, he remained through 
his work in our profession, his travels and decline, to the end 
what his early education made him, a scholarly, accomplished, 
and thorough soldier and gentleman.” Compiled from Obituary 
notices in the Columbus, O., papers, 1882. 


38 


THE JOURNAL OF FRANCIS COLLINS, AN ARTILLERY 
OFFICER IN THE MEXICAN WAR. 1 


The following notes of incidents in my life and experience, 
were mostly written down at the time of their occurrence. 
Sometimes circumstances would not permit this; but in all cases 
they were made while the incidents were fresh in my mind. It 
was my custom to carry in my pocket a little note book and 
pencil, during the time I was an actor in the scenes herein nar¬ 
rated, and when anything occurred which I thought it would be 
pleasant to recall when time would have obliterated it from my 
memory, I made a note of it. At the first it was my intention 
to have kept a regular journal of such events, connected with 
the operations of our Army in Mexico, as fell under my immedi¬ 
ate observation; but for many reasons some good, and some bad, 
I greatly neglected the matter, and in consequence the follow¬ 
ing meager and barren notes are all I have preserved. Such as 
they are, however, they are interesting to me, because almost 
every incident narrated recalls others to my mind with which 
it is associated. 

It could not happen often that anyone, however heedless 
and unobserving of passing events, could go through two years 
of campaign life in active service in an enemy’s country, en¬ 
gaging in battles, and performing the varied duties of a sub¬ 
altern officer, subject to the hardships and dangers of such a 
position as well as enjoying in a careless and happy way every¬ 
thing that had fun in it; working hard, and getting little credit 
for it; but generally relieved from much responsibility—it could 
not often happen but that one would see much which was worth 
remembering and pleasant to recall. Such an experience, too is 
not wanting in lessons of useful knowledge, and subjects of 
philosophic reflection. If I was such a charming old gossip as 
Montaigne, I would sit down in my idle moments (of which I 

1 The original MSS. is in the possession of his niece, Maria Clinton Col¬ 
lins, Cincinnati, Ohio. The transcript thereof is exact with the exception of 
a few changes made in orthography and punctuation for the sake of clear¬ 


ness. 


39 





am thankful, I have not many) and write out all these thoughts 
in such a familiar way as would make it like talking with an 
old friend of the almost forgotten incidents of our by-gone 
years. But as I cannot do this in so quaint and pleasant a way 
as the delightful Frenchman has done, in giving us the fruit of 
his experience, I will content myself with saving from forgetful¬ 
ness what will, perhaps, in time to come reward me for my labors. 

In the month of June, in the year 1841, I was entered a cadet 
in the United States Military Academy at West Point. I re¬ 
mained through the regular term of four years, and was duly 
graduated in June 1845, when I received a commission as Brevet 
Second Lieutenant in the U. S. Army, and was attached for 
duty to the Fourth Regiment of Artillery. After receiving my 
diploma at West Point, a furlough of three months was granted 
me. At the expiration of my furlough October 1, 1845, I joined 
the army at Old Point Comfort, Va., and was assigned for duty 
to Company F. commanded by Brevet Major John L. Gardner. 
The Fourth Regiment of Artillery was commanded at that time 
by Col. John B. Walbach and had its Head Quarters at Fort 
Monroe, Va. 

1 remained in this garrison until May 1846, when war being 
declared against Mexico, 2 all our small force was sent into the 
field. The regiments were mere skeletons, and in order to fill 
them up as rapidly as possible all the officers which could be 
spared were distributed through the different states on the 
Recruiting Service. I was sent first to Raleigh, North Carolina, 
where I remained about two months, and then visited different 
towns west of Raleigh. 

In the early part of the month of October of the same year, 
I received orders to close my rendezvous and join my company 
at Fort Monroe, Va., preparatory to embarking for the seat of 
war. This was what I had long been anticipating with great 

2 President Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor, who had been sent to 
Texas with about four thousand men, to cross the Nueces River, and later 
ordered him to advance to the Rio Grande. The Mexicans, regarding this 
forward movement as an invasion of their rights, attacked and defeated a 
small detachment of Taylor’s army. When the report of the conflict reached 
Washington (May, 1846), the President informed Congress that “ Mexico has 
shed American blood upon American soil. War exists, and exists by the act 
of Mexico herself.” Congress accepted the issue thus raised, and war followed. 
The Mexican War was in reality an attack on a weak nation by a strong one. 
— Channing: Students' History of the United States, p. 447. 

40 



pleasure. I was at this time in the dull, uninteresting town of 
Greensboro in Guilford, Co., N. C., which was so inaccessible to 
all news that I was utterly ignorant of what I was most desirous 
to know, Viz., how my comrades were getting on in the field, 
and whether they were not advancing their promotion, while I 
was vegetating in that remote and insignificant village. A few 
days sufficed to enable me to close my rendezvous, and, with 
such recruits as I had on hand, join my company at Old Point 
Comfort. No sooner had I reached there, however, than I was 
seized with a violent attack of bilious fever which had been ac¬ 
cumulating for months in my system during my sojourn in the 
unhealthy regions of North Carolina. It went very hard with 
me, and when I finally recovered my company had sailed for 
Texas. Colonel Walbach being upward of eighty years of age 
though still vigorous, was not allowed to accompany his reg¬ 
iment into the field, and remaining behind in an empty garrison, 
he tried hard to detain me on nominal duty with him. To this 
I very much objected, and at last succeeded in getting orders to 
join my company on the Rio Grande, Texas. I was not yet 
quite strong enough to travel, but fearful lest the old Colonel 
might succeed in his efforts to detain me in his command, com¬ 
posed for the most part of innumerable fat, lazy dogs, and wives 
and children, which the soldiers were obliged to leave behind 
them, I was determined to start for my post. 

Traveling by way of Baltimore and Wheeling, down the 
Ohio and the Mississippi rivers, I arrived at New Orleans on 
November 7, and on the 10th sailed for Brazas, Santiago, where 
I arrived on the 15th. Here I learned that my Regiment was 
at Camp Belknap on the Rio Grande opposite the Mexican 
village of Berita. 

Owing to the complete failure of our Navy to obtain pos¬ 
session of any important sea-port town on the Gulf, it was in 
contemplation at this time to attack Tampico by land, and with 
this in view it was designed to concentrate a force at Fort 
Belknap, or some other point on the river to march on Tampico, 
under the command of Major General Patterson. Patterson did 
not belong to the regular army but was appointed for the war 
by President Polk, and was one of the poorest of his appoint¬ 
ments. The expedition against Tampico progressed slowly. 
Only four or five companies of Artillery, serving as infantry, 
had been collected at Camp Belknap, when Commodore Conner 

41 


arrived off the mouth of the Rio Grande with the intelligence 
that Tampico had been evacuated by the Mexican troops, and 
that the city was ready to surrender to our troops. Our whole 
force amounting in all to not more than four hundred men, 
under command of Lieut. Colonel Francis Beltan was immedi¬ 
ately embarked with a small supply of ordinance, and on the 
21st of November sailed for Tampico, where we arrived on the 
23rd. When we reached sight of the city there were Mexicans 
enough gathered on the landing to have driven us back with 
clubs and stones, if they had had the spirit to have done so, but 
they offered no resistance and we boldly disembarked and took 
the town. 

Tampico is regularly laid out and substantially built, with¬ 
out much pretension to beauty of architecture. It contains a 
population of about five thousand inhabitants. Its situation is 
very favorable to defense, being in an elbow of the Pemico 
River, which on the opposite side is marshy and inaccessible. 
In the rear of the city is Lake Carpentero, so situated as to make 
the only approaches by land, over two narrow necks lying be¬ 
tween either extremity of the lake and the river above and below 
the city. As soon as we obtained possession and had time to 
look about us and see the nature of our position, we immediately 
began the construction of fortifications at the necks, and made 
such a disposition of our small force as would enable us best to 
defend ourselves from any outward attacks or risings of the 
people in the town. This being done, we began to feel a little 
more secure, but still our situation was so inviting of attack, 
owing to our limited numbers, that we looked for an arrival of 
reinforcements with more than ordinary anxiety. In the course 
of a week, or ten days they began to arrive, and it was not long 
after, before we felt strong enough to defend ourselves and the 
city from any force that the enemy could have brought against us. 

Not long after Brig. General James Shields arrived at the 
post with two regiments of Illinois Volunteers. He had been 
appointed civil and military governor of the city, and imme¬ 
diately on his arrival assumed command. I'was, on his applica¬ 
tion, appointed his aid de camp. This appointment was much 
nore agreeable to me than doing duty with my company, which 
I never much liked. At this time we had almost daily rumors 
of what the Mexican government was preparing to do. One 
day it would be said peace was soon to be made; the next day, 

42 


there could not be enough war to wipe out the foul pollution of 
the Yankee footsteps. 

Except occasional rumors of an approaching enemy, matters 
went on quietly in Tampico, and we found our sojourn there 
very pleasant. The streets of the city gradually began to assume 
a more American aspect. The inhabitants who had fled at our 
approach began to return to their homes; goods and merchandise 
from the United States arrived in large quantities, the city was 
well governed and the natives themselves admitted that they 
felt more secure in their persons and property than they did 
when they had the government in their own hands. 

About the first of January, 1847, Generals Patterson, Twiggs, 
Quitman, and Pillaw arrived with a part of the northern army 
from Monterey and Camargo, having performed a long and 
laborious march across the country. Their force consisted of 
about six thousand men mostly regulars, and was to compose a 
part of the army which at this time General Winfield Scott was 
concentrating at the island of Lobos, preparatory to an attack 
on Vera Cruz. This force encamped about three miles from 
town at a place named by them Camp Watson, in honor of 
gallant Colonel Watson Commander of the Baltimore Bat¬ 
talion of Militia, who fell at the siege of Monterey. 

The first date I find among my notes is: 

Tampico, Mexico, January 29, 1847. 

To-day occupied with my usual routine of duties, which I 
find less tedious since my appointment as Aide-de-Camp to 
General Shields. This relieves me from drills, guards, and work¬ 
ing parties, a drudgery for which I have no particular fancy; 
and as Shields is new at the business of soldiering, being but a 
Militia General, I feel no oppressive sense of his superior rank 
when thrown in contact with him. He is frequently compelled 
to rely either on his Adjutant or me for knowledge respecting 
his duties. All the new Generals appointed for the war have 
selected for their military families young men from the regular 
army, who have been educated at West Point, on whom they 
are compelled to rely for information and aid in the discharge 
of their duties. This evening I attended a very brilliant party 
given by Mr. Eversman, the German Consul, on the occasion 
of baptizing three of his children. Each of the guests received 
three small pieces of silver with holes through them, and sus¬ 
pended by ribbon of different colors—one for each child. This 

43 


seems to be a custom among the Germans, the origin of which 
I did not learn. The evening passed off very pleasantly. The 
Mexican Senoritas condescended to bestow their smiles on the 
barbarous Yankees, who were present, and we did not allow 
them to think their beauty passed unnoticed. It was late in 
the night when the party dispersed. Hammond had his watch 
a valuable gold one stolen from his pocket, in consequence, I 
think, of having become a little too much under the influence 
of the Jollie God. He and I had an adventure on our way home, 
which place he did not reach until the next morning. Having 
as I afterwards, learned occupied some of the soft stones in the 
Plaza as a bed. When I got home I found Hack Brown in bed, 
but very talkative. 

Our quarters consist of a delightful cottage situated in a 
pleasant part of town, occupied solely by three of us, Brown 
being also one of General Shields’s family on duty as topograph¬ 
ical officer. Our cottage being pleasantly situated, and always 
plentifully supplied with good entertainment, it is a favorite 
resort for all our friends when they come into town from the 
camps. Having employed a couple of French cooks, and having 
a fine market to obtain supplies from, our table always presents 
a very tempting appearance to those who are not so favorably 
situated and who are compelled to content themselves with the 
coarse provisions and cooking necessarily found in camps. 
January 31,—Another proof that campaign life is full of ups 
and downs—The fine easy cottage life is ended, and I am again 
back to duty with my company. To-day Colonel Gates made 
representations to General Shields that there were not officers 
enough on duty with the regiments, and requested that I should 
be relieved from duty as Aid-de-Camp, and ordered to my 
company. My services not being very necessary to the Gen¬ 
eral’s staff, Shields granted Gates’s application, and here I am 
again for drills, guard duty etc., and my fine horse taken away 
from me. All positions are just what we ourselves make them, 
so here goes for a good time, notwithstanding the loss of a few 
comforts. 

February 3" Captain Miller, the commanding officer of com¬ 
pany “A” (my company 4th Artillery) and Magiltan, Sub- 
Lieut. started this morning with a detachment of fifty of our 
men, to the relief of two hundred and eighty volunteers of a 
Lousiana regiment, who are reported to have been wrecked on 

44 


the coast about thirty miles below Tampico, and to have lost 
most of their arms and provisions, and in consequence are in 
great fear of being captured by the Mexicans. The remainder 
of our company comprising about fifty men are left under my 
command. 

Feb’y. 6". 2d. Lieut. Daniel Gibson, 2d Artillery, died here 
to-day of fever and dysentery. 

Feb’y- 9". Capt. Miller returned from his expedition—having 
rescued the Lousiana soldiers from a most deadly assault of 
mosquitos. Magiltan gives a very rich account of the expedi¬ 
tion. 

Feb’y. 19" General Scott arrived here to-day from Brazas, 
Santiago, where he has been for sometime past perfecting his 
arrangements for a descent on Vera Cruz. He declares martial 
law in force throughout all the Mexican provinces of which we 
have possession. He comes here for the purpose of organizing 
troops near here under the command of Gen’ls Patterson, 
Twiggs, Pillow, Quitman, and Shields, about six thousand 
strong. We expect soon all to be put in motion for the island of 
Lobos where the Vera Cruz army 3 is to be concentrated. 

20" Feb’y. Twiggs ordered to evacuate camp Watson and move 
with his division 4 to the mouth of the Pambico river from which 
point he is to embark for Lobos. 

25" Feb’y. To-day four companies of the 2" Reg. Arty, and 
my company all under command of Colonel Bankhead, sailed 
from Tampico on board the ship Maine for the island of Lobos. 
27" Feb’y. Arrived at Lobos Island. There are about forty 
transports here ladened with troops and stores. It is probable 
we will be detained at this place for some days awaiting the 
arrival of the other transports. This island is about sixty miles 
down the coast from Tampico, south; and between ten and 
fifteen miles off shore. It is about one mile and a half in cir¬ 
cumference, and much of it covered with a dense growth of 
chapperel that is a thicket of bushes and small trees interlaced 
with vines etc. None of the troops have been disembarked on 
the island except those on the transports where disease began 

3 At this time Scott stated Taylor’s army, including Wool’s command, 
to be 20,500, to be shortly increased to 27,250 by nine additional regiments 
of volunteers. From them he proposed to withdraw 14,000 for the Vera 
Cruz expedition. U. S. Govt. Doc., Cong. 30, Ses. 1, H. Ex. 59, p. 59-60. 

4 See p. 75 of Journal for description of Division. 

45 



to make its appearance, which is confined entirely to “vol¬ 
unteers.” They have embarked in this campaign in anticipa¬ 
tion of a grand frolic, but I fancy before they get through with 
it they will wish they might be comfortably at home again. I 
think they will find more reality and less romance in it than 
they thought, and will wish themselves comfortably at home 
again. 

30" Feb’y. During the past few days many more transports 
have arrived with troops and still they come. All are in high 
spirits. From daylight until dark the waters are spotted with 
small boats filled with visitors from one ship to another. Crowds 
of officers are gathered about on the decks, some laughing and 
singing, and others earnestly discussing the grand operations of 
the approaching campaign. The private soldiers are busy 
scrubbing, cleaning, cooking and smoking, and all the mass of 
these thousands of human beings are excited by the coming 
contest. General Scott is busily engaged in perfecting the or¬ 
ganization of his army and orders emanating from him are 
hourly circulating through the fleet. He is on board the steam¬ 
ship Massachusetts, and has some of the companies of my reg¬ 
iment with him. He has directed that when the Massachusetts 
makes the signal agreed on, all sail shall be set immediately for 
“Anton Lizards”, the rendezvous appointed near Vera Cruz. 
2" March. Today at Twelve o’clock the old Massachusetts 
fired her signal, and immediately after came ploughing through 
the fleet, giving the lead for Vera Cruz, or rather Anton Lizards. 
Shouts and cheers, and martial music, peal upon peal, burst 
from the ten thousand throats, as the old chief towering high, 
with uncovered head, stood on the deck as his ship passed along, 
dashing the spray from her bows, as if knowing her charge to 
many victories. Never did I witness on any other occasion so 
much enthusiasm. Proud should be the man and confident, 
who commands such hearts! In a very short time every sail 
was set, and an hundred ships with a good breeze were under 
way for the appointed destination. It was indeed a magnificent 
sight and one long to be remembered. 

5" March. Soon after leaving the island of Lobos the wind 
stiffened, and the captain of each ship, sailing according to his 
peculiar mode and fancy, the fleet soon became separated. For 
the first and second days out the wind was ahead, sometimes 
blowing a gale. Our progress, therefore was slow. On the third 

46 


day, under a heavy “Norther” we bore down rapidly on the 
harbor of Anton Lizards. This morning it was in sight, the tall 
masts of the ships which had out-sailed us being visible. Now 
the first occasional glances were caught of the famous castle of 
San Juan d’Ulloa. But long before we had any other indica¬ 
tions of land, while we were yet far out at sea the snow-capped 
peak of old Orezaba could be seen reaching up into the clouds. 
After pitching about for a while, and carefully picking her way 
among the coral reefs, our good ship Maine came up, and dropped 
her anchor by the side of her beautiful sisters of the ocean. 

8" March. One after another all the transports of the fleet 
which left the island of Lobos, have concentrated here at this 
point, within view of their prey, the castle and city of Vera 
Cruz. Again may be seen the same groups of officers, engaged 
as at Lobos, and on every hand are heard the sounds of mirth, 
music and singing, and the busy hum of earnest preparation. 

The harbor of Anton Lizards is formed by a reef of coral 
running parallel to the coast and about one mile or a little more 
from it. Ships lying between this reef and the coast are well 
protected from the furious “Northers” and rough seas so com¬ 
mon in this latitude. There is a great deal of discussion among 
us as to the point where General Scott will disembark his army. 
There is no operation so hazardous as that of landing troops on 
a hostile coast, opposed by enemies. We are unable to see from 
where we are, any indications that the Mexicans are making, 
or even preparing to make any opposition to our landing. It 
seems to me they might oppose it with great success. We could 
land from our present anchorage, and in many respects it is a 
favorable point to do so. Its distance from the city, being 
about eight miles, is greater perhaps than General Scott wishes, 
from the focus of his operations, and there are probably other 
objections to it, that those who are not in the secrets, are ig¬ 
norant of. But twenty-four hours more will determine the 
matter. 

9 March. This morning all the troops that could be crowded 
on to them were transferred from the different transports to 
the steamships. My company was transferred to General 
Scott’s ship, the Massachusetts, where the other companies of 
the Fourth Artillery were collected. At eleven o’clock in the 
forenoon all weighed anchor and got under way for the anchorage 
of Sacrificios from whence, it had been decided, that the disem- 

47 


barkation should take place. The United States men-of-war, 
and the steam ships led the van, the sail vessels containing the 
remainder of the army following close after, being favored by a 
good breeze. In about two hours all arrived in position under 
shelter of the small island of Sacrificios which lies about three 
miles south of Vera Cruz, and one fourth of a mile from the 
coast. Behind this island the ships had a safe anchorage, and 
were able to approach within a quarter of a mile to the land. 
Under the most favorable circumstances the descent of an 
Army on an enemy’s coast is a most delicate operation. In this 
case it was to be made on the most dangerous coast in the world, 
within view of a strongly fortified and garrisoned city, and al¬ 
most under its guns. It was to be accomplished, too, by means 
of surf boats capable of carrying about seventy men each, which 
were to be impelled through the beating surf. It must neces¬ 
sarily, therefore be a slow operation, and of course, if any oppo¬ 
sition was offered, a hazardous one, since, packed as we were 
in the small boats it was impossible to make any resistance. 
The Army—that is the regular troops—(in this the General 
showed his want of confidence in the volunteers, or new levies, 
for any operations requiring the best qualities of a soldier) were 
organized into two lines for the purpose of effecting the landing. 
The first line, under the command of General Worth, was to 
take the lead. This was composed of the Second Regiment 
Artillery, and the Fourth, Fifth Sixth and Eighth regiments of 
Infantry. After these boats had effected a landing the surf 
boats—of which there were not enough to land both lines at 
the same time—were to return and land in like manner the 
second line. This was composed of the First and Fourth Ar¬ 
tillery and the First, Second, Third, and Seventh regiments of 
Infantry under the command of General Twiggs. The men- 
of -war formed on the flanks of these movements ran up as near 
to the coast as the depth of water would admit, and took posi¬ 
tion to cover the disembarkation with their heavy guns. These 
arrangements being effected, about six o’clock in the afternoon 
the troops of the first line were thrown as rapidly as possible 
into the small boats. There being some surplus boats, General 
Scott ordered them alongside the Massachusetts, and transferred 
the companies of my regiment into them. It was a moment of 
intense excitement, for as yet we did not know whether we 
would meet with any opposition from the enemy. Running 

48 


parallel with the coast at this point, and not more than one 
hundred and fifty yards from it, was a range of sand hills afford¬ 
ing a strong and complete protection, behind which the enemy 
might, and for aught we knew, had placed batteries enough to 
riddle us to pieces. While in the boats we could offer no re¬ 
sistance, our troops not being allowed even to load their guns. 
If the Mexicans should open their fires upon us, we were to 
face them as bravely as possible, until the boats reached water, 
shallow enough to enable our men to leap out; this they were 
directed to do and forming as rapidly as possible on the coast, 
immediately attack the enemy. Fortunately, however, we met 
with no opposition, and soon our standards were floating on the 
hostile shores of Vera Cruz. The disembarkation of this line of 
troops was a grand spectacle, and indeed all the operations of 
this day have been of such a character as to excite the admira¬ 
tion and thrilling interest of all who beheld them. There were 
lying in the harbor of Vera Cruz two or three English and 
French men-of-war. It is wholly inexplicable to us why the 
enemy did not oppose our landing. There was a most singular 
combination of favorable circumstances to enable them to do 
so successfully. As soon as we were landed the boats returned 
for the second line, and the rest of the army followed. It was 
near morning when the disembarkation was completed. Our 
camp fires soon extended more than a mile along the coast. 
After our suppers, from what chanced to be in our haversacks, 
we lay down on the sand to get a little sleep or at any rate rest 
from the fatigues and excitement of the twelve hours past. 
Before leaving our ships orders had been given that every man 
should be provided with four days’ rations in his haversack. 
As for bedding, we have not a blanket to cover ourselves with at 
night, and the dews are heavy and the air almost always chilly, 
notwithstanding our southern latitude. 

While I was standing on the deck of the Massachusetts to¬ 
day as she came to anchor, Major Kirby came up to me as I 
was looking with intense interest on the surrounding scene, and 
said “What do you suppose the people up in the Black River 
country would say to such a sight as this? ’’ This sudden mingling 
of the peaceful, quiet scenes of home with the grand and terrible 
business we have on hand, produced a very singular effect upon 
my mind. Major Kirby is a son-in-law of General Jacob Brown, 
of Brownsville, New York, and has some acquaintance with 

49 


my father. He regards the Black River country as his home as 
well as mine, hence his allusion to it to-day. 

10" March. We did not get much rest last night. Our picket- 
guards came in contact with the guards of the enemy two or 
three times during the night. As each time it resulted in the 
exchange of a few shots, our entire camp was as often roused 
to arms. Our sleep and rest was the only thing damaged by 
the collisions. 

At the break of day this morning the drums beat to arms, 
and in a short time the whole army, about thirteen thousand in 
numbers, was in motion, advancing towards the city of Vera 
Cruz. On the level beach and all together, the eye could take 
in the whole army at a glance. It was a very stirring military 
scene. Worth’s division constituting the first line was the 
first to move off. After some skirmishing, resulting in a small 
loss on both sides, the division occupied the position assigned to 
it in the line of investment of the city; this was on the south 
side of the town and towards the point where we landed. The 
right wing of the division resting on the coast of the Gulf. Our 
division (Twiggs’) constituting the second line is encamped for 
the night in the rear of General Worth’s. Three brigades of 
volunteers under command of General Patterson have been ex¬ 
tending themselves during the day on the left flank of General 
Worth’s division and have partly gained their position in the 
line of investment. They met with some opposition from the 
enemy’s skirmishes, which however was overcome without 
much loss. The batteries of the city and castle of San Juan de 
Ulua have been slowly playing on us all day, but without doing 
much damage as far as I have learned. 

11 March. More or less skirmishing last night. General Scott 
and his staff disembarked this morning. At an early hour to¬ 
day our division began to move forward towards the north side 
of the city for the purpose of extending the investment. The 
enemy has kept his batteries playing upon us continuously 
during the day, both from the city and castle; but as we took a 
route bending around the city, well-protected most of the time 
by a low range of sand hills, our loss has not been great. Cap¬ 
tain Albertus of the Second regiment killed; one lieutenant 
wounded, and three or four privates killed or wounded, is the 
extent of our suffering so far as I have heard. At the time 
Captain Albertus was killed, our division was at a halt, waiting 

50 


for the removal of some obstructions in front. Availing himself 
of this opportunity he had seated himself on a log, and was 
reading a letter which he had received a short time before from 
home; while thus engaged a cannon ball took his head off. 

A body of about three hundred Lancers have hung on our 
flanks and along our line of march to annoy us and impede our 
progress, but they have not succeeded very well in their object. 
We are encamped for tonight on the road to Orizaba. The 
numerous difficulties and obstructions which have impeded our 
progress, and the annoyance which we have received from the 
enemy’s guns have made the day’s advance of three or four miles 
very fatiguing. 

12" March. Our division has remained in camp to-day waiting 
for some reconnoitring parties to report the nature of the country. 
Although we are encamped within range of the guns of the city 
and castle they have not molested us, thanks to some low sand 
hills behind which we are sheltered. In the place of cannon 
balls, however, there has been a terrible "Norther” raging all 
day, and it would be difficult to decide which were the worse of 
the two. These northers frequently come upon us very suddenly 
and continue to blow with unceasing violence, sometimes for 
forty-eight hours. During such times the sand drifts about like 
snow in northern latitudes. It fills one’s hair, eyes, nose and 
mouth; the finer sand gets into the pores of the skin, often caus¬ 
ing painful irritation. At these times, too, we suffer much from 
cold. The destitute classes of the natives wrap their blankets, 
or "panchos” close around them, and squatting down in some 
comer when the wind in its greatest force is broken, they will 
hardly move for anything less than to save their lives. 

13" March. We were a good deal disturbed last night by parties 
of the enemy prowling around our camp. The city of Vera 
Cruz seemed also to be a good deal alarmed. It kept its batteries 
playing all night, and at short intervals filled the air with rockets, 
and covered the plain around the city with fire-balls. The ob¬ 
ject of this bright illumination, so well as we could conjecture 
was to prevent any surprise upon the city by our storming 
parties; this for some reason seemed to anticipate, and tried to 
prevent by lighting up the country around. 

This morning, our division left the position which we occu¬ 
pied yesterday on the Orizaba road. At an early hour we were 
in motion pursuing a winding course around the city, extending 

51 


our line of investment to the left. After a march of six or seven 
miles we reached the national road leading from Vera Cruz to 
the city of Mexico. From our present position to Vera Cruz 
it is about three miles. The left flank of our division now rests 
on the Gulf of Mexico, and thus our army completely surrounds 
the city of Vera Cruz. Owing to the length of the line over which 
it is extended, the investment is not very close. There are 
considerable intervals between the different divisions. As we 
draw in nearer to the city, contracting our line, these intervals 
will close up, or so nearly so, that they can be safely guarded by 
advance pickets. 

We made a good capture to-day of three or four casks of 
wine, a portion of which, by order of General Twiggs, was dis¬ 
tributed among the soldiers, each receiving as much as was well 
for him to drink. Considering the fatigue and thirst—the water 
being very bad—it was certainly a grateful prize. 

For the purpose of more clearly observing the enemy, and 
watching his operations it has been ordered to-day that one 
company from each regiment throughout the line of investment 
shall be detailed each day to draw in towards the town as near 
as possible, by taking advantage of the inequalities of the ground 
to keep themselves under cover, and out of the reach of the 
enemy’s batteries. This movement will be necessary only in 
the night as during the day we can see from our camp every¬ 
thing going on around the walls of the city. 

15" March. This morning we left our position on the Jalapa 
road, for another nearer the city. Our line still extends across 
this road, and our right wing being extended reaches General 
Patterson’s left; while our left rests on the Gulf. By this move¬ 
ment we have effected a more complete investment of the city. 
Last night Captain Bainbridge of my regiment, commanding 
the advanced company, surprised a courier sent out from the 
city with despatches for the government at the capital. He was 
trying to make his escape through our lines of investment when 
he fell upon the captain’s company, an advance guard. He suc¬ 
ceeded in getting away, but his horse, sword, despatches, cloak, 
etc. fell into the Captain’s hands. His escape was owing to the 
darkness of the night. His despatches were found carefully 
rolled up, and thrust into a hollow stick which he carried, and 
which, it was supposed probably would escape notice even if 
the bearer should be captured. A painful incident occurred in 

52 


connection with this event. In the attempt to capture the 
courier several shots were fired at him, and in the confusion, 
one of these accidentally struck sergeant Blake of Bainbridge’s 
company. Blake died from the effects of this wound in a few 
hours. He was a fine, soldierly fellow, and the whole regiment 
regrets his loss. 

16 /r March. A continuous fire has been poured upon different 
parts of our line throughout the day, without much effect, 
other than some annoyance to us and some relief, perhaps, to 
the feelings of the enemy. 

17" March. For the last five days, a severe Norther, accom¬ 
panied by rain has been blowing with little interruption. Last 
night it subsided. During its continuance, no communication 
could be had with our shipping in consequence of the fury of the 
sea breaking on the coast. It has, therefore, been impossible 
for us to land our guns, mortars, ammunition, and materials of 
war, and our offensive operations, in consequence, have been 
much retarded. To-day, we have landed some cannon and 
mortars, and the batteries will soon be established. We hope 
then to return the compliment of the many balls we have re¬ 
ceived. The enemy made several attempts to break thro our 
lines last night, in order to get into the town; but they succeeded 
in none of these. 

18" March. All quiet last night, and to-day. Slow progress 
has been made in getting our artillery ashore. Every one is 
impatient at the delay in establishing our batteries. Here we 
are lying day after day in the sand, under the midday sun, and 
the heavy, chilling dews of night, without anything to shelter 
us, with but little of the hardest kind of food. Of course, there 
is some grumbling, and to be sure it is a pretty hard business, 
the necessity of which is admitted with reluctance. It will be 
singular if many of us do not get sick. 

19" March. To-day is the festival of Saint Joseph. 5 Now I 

5 Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary. Feast of Pius IX. in 1871 pro¬ 
claimed St. Joseph Patron of the whole Church as follows: ‘Our most Holy 
Lord, Pius IX., Pope, moved by the recent deplorable events, was pleased 
to comply with the desires of the Prelates, and to commit to the most power¬ 
ful patronage of the Holy Patriarch, Joseph, both himself and all the faith¬ 
ful, and solemnly declared him Patron of the Catholic Church, and com¬ 
manded his festival, occurring on the 19th day of March, to be celebrated for 
the future as a double of the first class, but without an octave, on account of 
Lent.’ Dictionary of the Bible , James Hastings Ed. 

53 



presume this canonized gentleman was a kind peaceful, man- 
loving man, and although canonized, no lover of cannon. Yet 
these God-forsaken Mexicans have to-day acted as though 
nothing could be more acceptable to him than a human sacri¬ 
fice. Since about ten o’clock this morning, they have kept up a 
continual roar of heavy gun, throwing their balls at us, and 
have absolutely done their best to prevent us from construct¬ 
ing batteries, for the purpose of blowing down their houses about 
the ears of their wives and children. They gave us no rest until 
darkness closed the scene. They must indeed be heathen! 

20" March. A few days ago a French Bark came down the 
Gulf, under a full press of sail, in a pretty stiff “Norther”, and 
thus favored succeeded in running the blockade of the port of 
Vera Cruz. The Frenchmen, thinking no doubt he was in a bad 
predicament, if our forces should succeed in capturing the city, 
attempted this evening about five o’clock to take advantage of 
a favorable breeze to effect his escape. But no sooner did he 
put out to sea than one of our small naval steamers (“Hunter”) 
gave him chase. The Frenchman did his best to get away, but 
was soon overtaken and after receiving a few shots across his 
bows, he hove to, and suffered himself to be captured. 

22" March. A furious “Norther” yesterday. The enemy has 
kept up a slow firing. Some of our batteries being in position 
and ready for action General Scott summoned the city to sur¬ 
render. The Governor General in command replied in a cour¬ 
teous manner, that he had been entrusted with the defense of 
the town and castle, and had been furnished with the necessary 
means to do it; and that he was prepared to make use of those 
means as long as he was able. On receiving this reply, one of 
our batteries composed of seven heavy mortars opened a fire 
on the city. It was about six o’clock in the evening. The shells 
seem to have done great execution. The crashing, rumbling 
report which they make as they fall through the roofs of the 
buildings, bursting and scattering death and destruction around 
is truly terrible. The screams and yells of the populace, whether 
in defiance or fear could be distinctly heard, and now while I 
write do I hear them. This evening Captain Vinton, Third 
Regiment, U. S. Artillery, was killed in the trenches by a shell 
thrown from the enemy’s battery. 

23 March. A smart firing has been kept up during the night 
past and continued through the day on both sides. This mom- 

54 


ing three of our companies were detailed for service in the 
trenches. We left our camp in the evening and marched around 
to the other side of the line of investment, about six miles to 
General Worth’s position, where the trenches are opened. A 
furious “Norther” has been blowing all the afternoon and the 
air is filled with clouds of piercing fine sand My hair, beard, and 
the pores of my skin are filled with it, causing no little suffering. 
24" March. As soon as it was dark enough last evening to 
screen us from the enemy’s batteries we took up our position 
in the trenches. The trenches are within range of the Mexican 
guns, and it is necessary to approach them after dark to avoid 
the direct fire from the batteries concentrated upon that part 
of our line. Throughout the whole of last night we have been 
working hard to establish a battery of four 24 pounders and 
two 8 inch howitzers, but have not got it ready for action yet. 
It will talk loud when it does open its mouth. The “Norther” 
spoken of last night still continues. A heavy battery, occupy¬ 
ing a position some distance from the left of our trenches, com¬ 
posed of guns taken from the shipping, and served by sailors 
and marines, opened for the first time this afternoon. It is 
under the command of naval officers. As soon as it began firing 
all the guns of the town that could be brought to bear, were 
turned upon it. For an hour or two the firing on both sides was 
brisk and effective. I thought our sailors served their guns with 
more spirit than skill, still they did good execution on our side; 
midshipman Shubrick, and a number of sailors were killed. 
The loss on the part of the enemy is not known but two of their 
batteries were silenced, and a part of the town very much 
riddled and battered. We have had a constant cannonading di¬ 
rected upon us all day, but being protected by the embankment 
of the trenches we have suffered but little. One or two of our 
men have been killed and several wounded. 

25" March. We left the trenches shortly after dark last night 
and arrived at our camp about midnight, completely exhausted 
after having been on a tour of severe duty for more than forty 
hours. 

To-day we received intelligence that there is a force of about 
two thousand Mexicans in our rear, in the direction of Medelen. 
Colonel Harney of the Second Regiment Dragoons was sent 
out with a small force of cavalry to reconnoitre, and if expedient 
to attack them. He found them posted for a fight at the stone 

55 


bridge of Moreno. The bridge being fortified, Harney sent 
back to camp for some artillery. Lieutenant Judd of the Third 
Artillery was sent to his assistance. It did not take long to de¬ 
molish the enemy’s barricades, and he was soon after driven from 
his position and pursued to the village of Madeline, about six 
miles from the bridge. Our loss in this skirmish was small, that 
of the enemy much more considerable. There has been other 
skirmishing along our line, through the day, which has annoyed 
us some, but caused little damage. The cannonading from the 
town, and castle has been going on in the meantime. 

26" March. This morning there was a spirited cannonading 
on both sides. It did not last long, however, and since it ceased 
all has been quiet. Terms of capitulation are said to have been 
offered. My camp is so far from Headquarters, General Scott 
being on the other side of the city—we only get this news as 
rumor. White flags have been passing to and from the city 
during the day. It is thought that unless the place surrenders 
soon it will be taken by storm. If this takes place it will be 
attended with great destruction of life. 

27" March. All is quiet to-day. Negotiations are still pending. 

Evening. Terms of capitulation have been agreed on; the 
Bravos Mexicanoes have surrendered into our hands the city 
of Vera Cruz and the Castle of San Juan de Ulloa. 

From the disembarkation of our troops up to this hour, 
General Scott has conducted the siege with that patience, 
energy, and skill which all expected from so great a general. 
Almost insurmountable obstacles have opposed us, not among 
the least of which may be reckoned the hostile elements, wind 
and storms of sand. This for several days, at the opening of 
the siege, prevented our landing our stores and munitions of 
war, which caused delays in our offensive operations, and caused 
some to complain of inefficiency in the commanding General; 
but with equal patience he overcame the obstacles and endured 
the murmurings. 

28" March. To-day has been given to the enemy to make their 
arrangements preparatory to evacuating the city. No American 
is permitted to enter until this is done. To-morrow morning at 
ten o’clock the Mexicans march out and lay down their arms. 
29" March. At ten o’clock this morning the ‘‘Magnanimous’’ 
nation marched out of their bulwarks—four or five thousand of 
them and laid down their arms in the presence of our army. 

56 


It was all done in order and quietness, and especial care was 
observed that nothing should be done to wound the feelings of 
the vanquished. They were permitted to go where they pleased 
—on parole. In the name of cannon-balls, what does parole 
mean among such people! It will have no more force with them 
than a promise never to eat anything again would have. Yet 
go they must, for it is impossible for us to keep them prisoners 
of war, and they may as well go on parole as without. Many of 
them, no doubt, are country people; caught up by the author¬ 
ities, and forced into service. Such will return to their homes, 
thanking us for their release from a cruel service. 

Immediately, after their departure the stars and stripes 
threw out their folds over the captured forts and the far-famed 
castle, and looked only the more impudently inspiring, as being 
half concealed by the rising smoke of five hundred cannon 
belching harmless thunder in honor of our victory. 

8" April. Since my last date nothing has occurred in my vi¬ 
cinity and experience, worthy of particular report. Until this 
morning we remained at our old camp among the sand hills 
occasionally going into the city to get a good dinner, or other 
creature comfort. The usual amount of grumbling and good- 
humor has prevailed, and our mess has gradually improved, to 
effect which, I hold to be the true test of a good campaigner. 
During the siege we have been compelled to live very scanty, 
and on coarse food. Sometimes we scarcely had anything to 
eat. I disembarked on the ninth day of March with four days 
rations in my haversack, consisting of sea biscuit, and boiled 
beef. From that time till the close of the siege on the twenty- 
ninth we were compelled to live almost entirely on the Mexican 
cattle which we found wandering among the hills and woods in 
the neighborhood of our camp, and they were poor miserable 
things; but such as they were we appropriated as many of them 
as were necessary for the subsistence of our troops. This scarcity 
of food was owing in a great measure to the violent storms 
which prevented us from communicating with our shipping and 
landing our stores, and the position too which our division oc¬ 
cupied in the investment, had something to do with it; for, we 
were so far from the place where the supplies were finally landed 
that no time could be spared to transport them to us. I fared 
as poorly, indeed suffered a great deal more, for want of protec¬ 
tion from the intense heat of the sun, and the chilling dews of 

57 


night, for I did not bring anything ashore except the clothing I 
had on my back, and in consequence, I was under the necessity, 
much of the time, of sleeping on the ground without anything 
to cover me. The nights were often, or rather always cold, and 
I suffered from it. Occasionally, I shared part of the blanket, or 
overcoat of my more fortunate companion—more fortunate be¬ 
cause he had found the blanket which some volunteer, in the 
heat of the day, had found to be an oppressive incumbrance to 
carry on his back, and had imprudently thrown it away to 
lighten the burden. Such is the thoughtlessness of a soldier. 
The present is all that occupies his thoughts. Two or three 
days ago, I was able to get my baggage. We then had tents 
and other luxuries in abundance. Under other circumstances, I 
should have thought I had endured no little hardship during 
this siege, but plenty of excitement and good fellowship knocked 
off the rough edges, blunted the points and gave no time to think 
of such things. 

The city of Vera Cruz does not cover a very large area, but is 
compactly built, and some of the structures have rather an im¬ 
posing appearance. Most of the buildings look very ancient. 
About one half the city was much damaged by the bombard¬ 
ment. Many of the higher classes of inhabitants left it before 
it was invested, and when they return and witness the ruin 
spread around their shattered dwellings, they will no doubt, be 
thankful they were not at home. 

The shells, falling on the tops of the houses, crashed through 
the roofs into the interior, and then exploding produced the 
most frightful and terrific effects. The thunder of these explo¬ 
sions was truly awful at the distance of a mile from the scene. 
There must have been the most horrible suffering and dismay 
among the women and children. 

I doubt whether a city, after being well invested, and hav¬ 
ing no reasonable prospect of successful defense from within, or 
aid from without, should refuse to surrender when summoned 
to that effect. The high perfection to which the science of war 
has attained in this age has very much simplified a decision in 
such a case, and it seems only a consideration of the relative 
value of human life, and human glory, the latter being a very 
ambiguous commodity, when it wears a feather in its cap, ac¬ 
cording to my experience. 

The castle of San Juan de Ulloa may well sustain the reputa- 

58 


tion for strength which it has so long enjoyed as a military forti¬ 
fication. I think it must be considered impregnable to naval 
attacks even in this day of scientific warfare. It is a complicated 
and very curious structure, and well repays a visit. It is built 
on a coral reef in the harbor, and stands about five hundred 
yards from the city. Both city and castle when they fell into 
our hands were in the most filthy condition it is possible to 
conceive. 

A rigid police has been organized, which will, if efficiently 
carried out, remove the exciting causes to disease before the 
most unhealthy part of the season begins, and it is to be sin¬ 
cerely hoped will tend to abate the violence of the Black Death 
vomite which rages here so fearfully. 

We broke up our camp among the sand hills this morning, 
about nine o’clock, and commenced our march into the in¬ 
terior in the direction of Jalapa. We have marched today about 
thirteen miles. Our division, Twiggs’s thus leads off towards 
the capital which we design to capture, if we can as it is neces¬ 
sary to terminate the war. The remainder of the army is still 
in camp in Vera Cruz. It will follow us in divisions, one day 
separating each. Our route today has been over a very sandy 
road, worn deep into the earth, in many places three or four 
feet, thus enclosing us between sand walls. The sun poured 
down upon us with a boiling heat, not a breath of air stirring, 
or a single leaf or twig to shade our burning heads. Some of 
our men have dropped down by the roadside, and died a few 
minutes after from the effects of the heat. Once or twice, dur¬ 
ing the day, the veins in my head became much swollen, my 
eyes dim, and I felt a sensation of dizziness, all indicating a 
strong tendency to congestion of the brain. 

At least four-fifths of the entire Division have been left on 
the roadside, overcome by the excessive heat. They will prob¬ 
ably revive, and come on and join us in camp, sometime during 
the night. By an exercise of the greatest fortitude I succeeded 
in keeping up with the head of the column and arrived in camp 
with the first. But I no sooner reached here, than I fell upon 
the ground and lay there for an hour or more, without the power 
of raising an arm. We arrived here late in the afternoon. There 
are officers with us who have been with the army in all the long 
and arduous marches it has made, both in this country, and 
among the swamps and everglades of Florida, yet they all with 

59 


one accord say they have never endured such suffering on a 
march as they have experienced to-day. 

It has resulted from this that the general at the head of the 
column and all the superior officers are mounted on horses, and 
consequently they, who regulate the rate of marching, and the 
restings, did not appreciate the heaviness of the sand, boiling 
hot, over which we were passing nor the rapidity of the pace 
we were required to keep. Again, it should have been re¬ 
membered that it was the first day’s march after having been 
for a long time quiet in camp at Vera Cruz, and that this first 
day is always the hardest to get through with. It requires two 
or three days at marching to bring soldiers in a good trim for 
it. After that they may be sometimes crowded, and compelled 
to make forced marches, without wearing them down much. 

Of the appearance of the country all may be said in a few 
words. It is sandy, and barren, and shows but little evidence 
of cultivation. It is covered mostly, so far as I could see, from 
the highroad, with a kind of wild grass, and clumps of chap- 
parel were here and there seen. There are very few ranches, or 
dwellings along the roadside, and what there are of the poorest 
kind. The chief productions of this part of the country, how¬ 
ever, if I may judge from the appearances about our camp is 
the wood-tick in every variety, and this affords me a very de¬ 
lightful prospect in the way of sleep to-night, for I must make 
my bed with them. There is scarcely any place, however, so 
bad you cannot find some comfort about it, and I found it here 
in a delightful bath, in a stream that runs near by, to which I 
was able to drag myself after recovering a little from my ex¬ 
haustion. 

9 April. Camp at Puente de los Vigas. Marched today 
about eleven miles over an excellent road. The heat has not 
been quite so oppressive as it was yesterday, and a few of our 
men have in consequence been left behind on the road. The 
country has somewhat improved in appearance and shows more 
signs of cultivation. We have passed but few dwellings, though 
some large haciendas could be seen at a distance in the country. 
We are encamped by another stream, which has afforded me the 
luxury of another bath, and truly it is a luxury, that one cannot 
comprehend who has not enjoyed it under such circumstances. 

General Scott’s means for transporting his army into the 
interior was so limited, that we were compelled before leaving 

60 


Vera Cruz to reduce our baggage to the least possible limit. 
For beds, therefore we have but a blanket or two apiece, and 
my wardrobe consists of what is on my back, and a change of 
underwear stowed away in a small basket. This must answer un¬ 
til we conquer our way into some town, where we can replenish 
our supplies and await in a more healthy locality than the one 
we are leaving behind for the arrival of more transportation. 

Our march is in the direction of Jalapa, a little more than 
sixty miles distant from Vera Cruz. We have no certain tidings 
of the enemy, but rumor says he will ere long present himself 
in our way. It is thought not, however, before we reach the 
Puente National, or National Bridge, or Puente del Rio, Bridge 
of the King, as it was formerly called. 

10 April. After an easy march of six miles, we arrived today at 
the Puente National. There was no enemy to be seen, yet 
there are indications that the Mexicans intended to make a 
stand here, and oppose our progress. Ditches have been re¬ 
cently dug across the road, first over several arches of the bridge, 
and then partly filled up, indicating a change of plan on the 
part of the enemy. 

Our camp, tonight, is in an open field, found on crossing the 
Bridges for there are two of them, but so near to, and connected 
with each other as to have the name, and appearance of but 
one. Nearly opposite our camp, on an eminence to the left of 
the road is to be seen a fine Hacienda, or farm belonging to 
General Santa Anna. The scenery along our route today has 
been beautiful, and the country generally has presented an 
improved appearance. 

11 April. Camp at Pian del Rio, We have marched fifteen 
miles today. This is the entrance to a strong mountain pass. 
On our arrival here the enemy was reported to be in force two 
or three miles in advance, and prepared to dispute our further 
progress. A small cavalry force was immediately despatched 
for the purpose of reconnoitring his position. It soon returned 
and reported that the Mexicans were occupying the pass of 
Cerro Gordo, strength unknown. We shall give ourselves no 
more trouble about them tonight, but will wake them up early 
tomorrow morning. 

12 April. This morning our Division advanced towards the 
pass of Cerro Gordo with the view of making a more satisfactory 
inspection of the enemy’s position, strength etc., and if prac- 

61 


ticable, brush him away, and continue our march. But we found 
on a near approach to the line of fortifications that the Mex¬ 
ican force was twelve, or fifteen thousand, and strongly posted 
behind almost impregnable natural and artificial fortifications. 
The comparative smallness of our own numbers, there being 
about two thousand, five hundred of us, and these advantages 
on the part of the enemy, determined General Twiggs to move 
back to his original position at Plan del Rio, and there await 
the arrival of the other division of the Army under Generals 
Worth, Patterson, and Pillow. One of these divisions will 
probably join us this evening. No sooner had we made our 
appearance before the Mexican lines this morning than they 
opened a spirited fire upon us from their batteries, but without 
serious effect. 

April 13. General Patterson arrived last night with his division 
of Volunteers. The enemy’s position proving so much stronger 
than was anticipated, most of the day has been spent in recon- 
noitering it. No active measures have yet been taken. 

April 14. It was generally expected that an attack would be 
made on the enemy to-day, but General Patterson of the Mi¬ 
litia, being the senior officer present with our forces, seems to 
decline the responsibility of a general engagement, and in con¬ 
sequence we have been laying on our arms all day awaiting the 
arrival of General Scott. He has just arrived with General 
Pillow’s division. Two or three prisoners, and one deserter 
from the Mexicans have been taken to-day. We are all anxious 
to have the contest come off. 

April 15. We have remained quietly in our camp to-day. 
General Worth’s division was expected to join us to-day, but 
has not arrived. The enemy has been more on the alert than 
heretofore. 

April 16. Still in camp at Plan del Rio. Nothing of conse¬ 
quence transpired to-day. Small parties have been out recon- 
noitering the enemy’s position. It is very strong. General 
Worth’s division joined us after dark this evening. All of 
Scott’s Army is now concentrated at this point. 

April 17. At seven o’clock this morning our division was 
put in motion to gain a position opposite the left flank of the 
enemy’s line, which was accomplished, but not until a part of 
the division became engaged with the advanced posts of the 
Mexicans. 


62 


April 18. At an early hour this morning the battle of “ Cerro 
Gordo” began. General Twiggs’s division commenced the ac¬ 
tion by attacking the left flank of the enemy’s line, with a vim, 
to turn it, and if practicable gain his rear. This was only par¬ 
tially accomplished when the post of the Mexican line gave way 
and the advantages thus gained were pressed with great vigor 
until a general breaking up of the whole line ensued. Owing 
to the character of the ground the severest fighting was mostly 
for positions, for the small hills surrounding the high hill called 
“ Cerro Gordo.” The latter commanded nearly the entire field 
of action, and was evidently relied on by the Mexicans as the 
decisive point in their line of fortifications. The way being 
cleared to it, however, our soldiers seemed to vie with each 
other in seeing who should be first on the summit of Cerro 
Gordo. They rushed up its rough sides under a galling fire, but 
still they pressed on gallantly. The Mexicans stood their ground 
well, and it was not until driven from their position at the point 
of the bayonet that many of them left it. While this attack 
on the hill was going on, General Shields was ordered to turn 
the left flank of the enemy’s line, and cut off the retreat. His 
Brigade was composed of the New York volunteers and the 
3rd and 4th Regiments of Illinois volunteers. In this service 
General Shields was very severely wounded by a grape shot 
passing through his side. 

The enemy’s left having given way, the rest of the line soon 
followed, except the extreme right. This was strongly fortified, 
and had successfully resisted two attacks by the Pennsylvania 
and Tennessee volunteers commanded by General Pillow. But. 
soon being surrounded by our forces and deserted by their own, 
they were surrendered by their commander, Gil La Vega, one 
of the best of the Mexican generals, the same who fought so 
well at Resaca de la Palma against General Taylor’s army, and 
who was captured there also, and sent a prisoner of war to New 
Orleans. General Worth’s division came up during the action 
to-day, but took no part in it. 

Our loss, considering the obstinacy of the contest, has not 
been very great. That of the enemy is considerably greater 
than ours. In this fight we did not have more than three thou¬ 
sand men actually engaged at any one time. The nature of the 
ground was such as not to admit of a larger force being brought 

63 


into action. The Mexican army was computed at fifteen to 
eighteen thousand. 

The pass of Cerro Gordo is about fifteen miles from Jalapa. 
It was toward this town that the enemy retreated. We pur¬ 
sued them within three or four miles of the town. We are en¬ 
camped to-night at “Encerro” a beautiful Hacienda belonging 
to Santa Anna. It is seven miles from Jalapa. 

April 19. It is as serene and everything as quiet to-day as 
though the fierce conflict of yesterday had never occurred. 
Grief for those of our friends whom we left dead on the field 
seems to be suppressed by the gratitude which all feel for their 
own preservation. Armies soon recover from the moral effects 
of battle, so far as those effects are visible in their external 
character. 

We broke up our camp at Encerro this morning at seven 
o’clock, and are to-night in Jalappa. 6 We arrived here about two 
o’clock this afternoon. As we entered the town the inhabitants 
collected in large numbers along the roadsides to get their first 
view of the terrible Yankees, of whom, however, they gave no 
indication of being afraid. 

To-day, for the first time since leaving Vera Cruz, the country 
has presented a rich and fertile appearance. It is pretty well 
cultivated and the vegetation looks green and healthy. In, and 
around Jalapa everything is beautiful—really wonderfully beau¬ 
tiful! There can be no other place on earth more nearly ap¬ 
proaching Paradise. The trees, the plants, the shrubs, the air, 
the sun, all enchant me. 

April 20. No excitement to be discovered in any quarter 
to-day. We have been looking about the town to spy out all 
that is new or interesting, and trying to make ourselves as 
comfortable as possible, for it is not known how long we may 
be compelled to stop here. The inhabitants seem disposed to 
be civil. I should think the population of the town was not 
far from five hundred. 

I don’t like this rheumatism that has tortured me for so 
long a time since my exposure at the siege of Vera Cruz. I 
hope it will leave me after a time. 

April 21. General Worth’s division came up to-day, and, 
passing through the town without stopping, continued on to 

8 After the defeat of Santa Anna at Cerro Gordo, April 19, General 
Scott constituted Jalapa a depot for supplies. 

64 



occupy Perote. Worth was rather thrown in the rear at Cerro 
Gordo, but he seems resolved to go ahead now. He probably 
will not find any opposition to his march on Perote, or his seizure 
of the castle situated near that place, and so famous in the 
annals of Mexican revolutions. 

April 22. All quiet in town to-day. We have no tidings of 
the remnants of the Mexican Army dispersed at Cerro Gordo. 

Since our arrival here I have, until to-day, been living in 
my tent pitched in the Plaza, or Public Square, but to-day we 
have located ourselves in a vacant house, and find it very com¬ 
fortable quarters. 

May 20. Our division (Twiggs’s) is still occupying Jalapa. 
Time rolls on very quietly and pleasantly. General Worth has 
continued to advance his division and is said to be now occu¬ 
pying Puebla. Nothing worthy of particular notice relating to 
the operations of the Army has occurred since my previous date. 
General Worth met with no opposition from the Castle of Perote. 
It was surrendered into his hands as soon as he presented him¬ 
self before it. At the town of Amazoque, ten miles this side of 
Puebla he came near being surprised by a body of about one 
thousand cavalry under the command of Santa Anna, who had 
been laying in wait for him. Fortunately, however, he managed 
to extricate himself from his danger without any loss. He con¬ 
tinued on to Puebla and took possession of that city without 
any opposition. For the past month Jalapa has been full of 
rumors—sometimes favorable to a speedy termination of hos¬ 
tilities, and the next hour indicating war to the knife. We have 
learned a little of Santa Anna’s movements since his defeat at 
Cerro Gordo. From that field he fled to Orizaba almost alone. 
There he succeeded in gathering around him a force of three or 
four thousand men, consisting in part of the fugitives of his 
Cerro Gordo Army, and in part raised in the neighborhood of 
Orizaba. With this small army, it is said, he has again placed 
himself in our front, and is now fortifying a pass between the 
city of Puebla and the City of Mexico. It is the Pass of Rio 
Frio (cold river) and is fifteen leagues from Puebla. 

I am inclined to think we will have no more fighting, though 
I confess it is almost idle to form opinions relating to the prob¬ 
able course of Mexican policy in the government of this wretched 
country. 

I fear my recollections of Jalapa, beautiful as the place is in 

65 


all that nature could do, will be anything but pleasant and 
agreeable. 

Nearly all the time from my arrival here to the present 
moment, I have been confined to my room and some of the time 
to my bed. Having contracted, or rather having had a return 
of my old enemy—the rheumatism , owing to great exposure at 
the Siege of Vera Cruz, and on the route to this place, I suffered 
severely in consequence. The comfortable quarters in which I 
am now living had nearly restored me when I was most severely 
attacked by the jaundice from which I am now just beginning 
to recover a little. I am still very much prostrated by the 
effects of it, and greatly reduced in flesh. I hope soon to regain 
my health and strength. The jaundice is quite prevalent among 
us. I have heard of several cases. 

May 22. At three o’clock to-day Twiggs started with his 
division en route for Puebla. This leaves Colonel Childs here 
as the military governor of Jalapa. His force is composed of the 
1st Regiment of United States Artillery, the 1st Regiment of 
Pennsylvania Volunteers, and three companies of the 2nd Reg¬ 
iment of that State. 

Being unable to march with my Regiment on account of my 
recent illness I have been left behind to regain strength and 
vigor, and rejoin my company when I am able. 

I changed my quarters to-day, and am now living with 
Lieutenant Frank Thomas, of the 3rd Reg. U. S. Arty., who 
has also been left behind a convalescent invalid. We are the 
sole occupants of the large, empty, old house, without any 
other furniture in it than our little cot-beds standing in adja¬ 
cent comers of one of the largest rooms. Our only attendant 
and servant is a sick soldier. He cooks for us and attends to 
our room—all of which is no great task, as we eat but little and 
have nothing in our room to attend to. If one is sick on a cam¬ 
paign he must take care of himself the best way he can, for 
others have but little time to look after him. 

May 28.and another day has gone, carrying its events 

of joy, sorrow, hopes, fears, gratified wishes, bitter disappoint¬ 
ments, etc., etc., etc., on its silent, irrestible, ever-advancing, 
mysterious course, and emptied them—where? I will retain 
none of them. Let them float on, and mingle with the spoils of 
time.—What is time? 

June 6. Orders received to-day from General Scott direct- 

66 



ing Colonel Childs to break up his garrison at this place as soon 
as practicable, and move forward to join the main army in 
Puebla. The general hospital which has thus far been located 
here is to be removed to Perote. I hope it will be practicable 
to take up our line of march soon, for this Jalapa is getting to 
be a dull enough place for me. Since I have been so far recovered 
from my sickness as to be able to walk out, I have had nothing 
to do but walk about the town seeking to make the hours pass 
away as pleasantly as circumstances would permit by gazing at 
everything I could find that was novel and curious. It would 
be much pleasanter for me if I could speak the language of these 
people for I could then doubtless find society enough. I have 
hardly command enough of the Spanish dialect, as yet, to make 
my simplest ideas understood by the people. I think, how¬ 
ever, I am learning to speak it better every day. 

To be well and strong, and with my regiment again is my 
strongest desire. 

June 8. Captain Bainbridge 4th Arty, arrived here to-day 
from Perote where he was left behind the regiment sick. He 
goes to Fort Monroe, Va. under orders. A train arrived from 
Puebla. 

June 10. We are making arrangements to move on to 
Puebla as soon as possible, and in consequence the inhabitants 
of Jalapa are in a state of uneasiness and alarm. They say the 
surrounding country is infested with robbers and guerilla bands, 
and that as soon as we remove our protection from the town 
they will rush in and rob, pillage, and murder the inhabitants. 
This is a fine state of things truly, when these people must call 
on a foreign invading army to protect them against their own 
country-men. It is a fact well-known to us, however, that 
some of the citizens of Jalapa have been in the practice of fur¬ 
nishing these outlaws, and legal assassins with powder, and lead 
to assist them in carrying out their depredations against us; 
and they must now justly suffer themselves the murders and 
robberies, that they are no longer able to direct against those 
who have heretofore given them protection. I have but little 
sympathy for these people, for they are not patriotic enough to 
defend their country, nor generous and manly enough to act 
uprightly towards those who—in conquering them—protect and 
preserve to them the free enjoyment of all their rights, to an 
extent never enjoyed under their own government. What a 

67 


wrong and unnatural thing it is that this beautiful country 
should be possessed by such a worthless, idle, vicious, mongrel 
race. 

June 15. Since our arrival here on the 19th of April I do 
not perceive any decided change in the temperature of the 
weather. The sun is perhaps a little hotter during the morning 
from eight to twelve o’clock. Almost every day about noon it 
clouds over and in the afternoon we have a smart shower after 
which it soon clears up again. It is a most delightful climate. 

June 16. General Cadwallader arrived here with re-enforce¬ 
ment of infantry and cavalry from Vera Cruz, en route for 
Puebla to join the main army. He brought a large train of sup¬ 
plies with him. He was much annoyed, and delayed on his 
route by guerilla parties, which succeeded in killing and wound¬ 
ing a good many of his men, and forced him to destroy a part 
of his train of wagon to keep them from being captured. This 
train left Vera Cruz on the 4th inst. Colonel McIntosh came 
with it on his way to join his regiment after having recovered 
from the terrible wounds he received at the battle of Rezaca de 
la Palma. 

June 18. This morning we broke up our garrison at Jalapa, 
and are now on our way to join the main army at Puebla. Our 
force is about twenty five hundred strong—comprised of all the 
odds and ends of all the regiments and corps in the service— 
the whole in a state of great confusion and disorganization as 
must necessarily be the case when such a crowd of raw recruits 
and militia are huddled together, and commanded by officers 
like a majority of those we have with us, appointed from civil 
life and consequently most dangerously ignorant of their duties. 

Our command, or Division, as it is called, is divided into two 
Brigades under the command of General Cadwallader, a very 
good Chestnut street soldier from the city of Philadelphia. For 
any other purpose than parading on Chestnut street he is ab¬ 
solutely good for nothing. The 1st Brigade is under Colonel 
McIntosh of the 5th Reg. Infantry. He is no holiday soldier. 
He is the gallant old officer who was so furiously assailed by a 
party of Mexican soldiers at the battle of Resaca de la Palma. 
They rushed on to him with their bayonets, three of which 
passed through his body—one through his arm, one through his 
thigh, and the other entering his mouth came out at the back of 
his neck. I have just been talking with the old Colonel about 

68 


it, and could hardly believe it possible he could have escaped 
death from such wounds, but so it is, for they are before my 
eyes hardly yet entirely healed. 

The 2nd Brigade is commanded by Colonel Childs, 1st Reg. 
Arty. We marched to-day only four miles,—more for the pur¬ 
pose of organizing and arranging the large train of wagons we 
have with us, than for making a day’s march. We have in the 
train between six and seven hundred wagons heavily loaded 
with provisions, ammunition, and baggage. When stretched out 
along the road they extend over a distance of about five miles. 
Of course such a train is very difficult to protect at all points 
from the attacks of guerillas, and scouting parties of the enemy. 

June 19. Marched fourteen miles to-day through as beauti¬ 
ful country as there is in the world. In every direction as far 
as the eye can reach is seen the most luxuriant vegetation. 
About three o’clock this afternoon we passed the village of San 
Miguel which we found entirely deserted, some of the inhabitants 
having been frightened away by our approach, and others, no 
doubt, having fled to the mountains to aid the Guerillas in their 
efforts to annoy our progress, and hope to come in for their 
share of the expected plunder. We think they will earn it be¬ 
fore they get it. Some small parties of the enemy were seen 
to-day hovering around us on the tops of neighboring hills. 
Our elevation has now become so great we are actually among 
the clouds, which rising from the Gulf of Mexico are here dashed 
against the mountain sides. During the latter part of our march 
to-day we were immersed in a vapor bath. The heavy dense 
clouds sweeping along and rolling up the mountains, permitted 
only a glimpse, now and then, of the country below us. We 
reached camp about dusk in the midst of a heavy shower of 
rain. Owing to the luxuriance of the country, the magnificence 
of the scenery, and the novelty of our position, this day’s march 
has been of great interest to me. 

20 June. The greatest opposition to our march today was 
made at the pass of La Haya which the Mexicans had spent 
much time in fortifying, but which was afterwards abandoned 
without trying to defend it. It is capable of being strongly 
fortified. We attained our greatest altitude in crossing the 
Sierra Madre today, near the village of Las Vigas. During our 
march we were frequently enveloped in clouds of vapor as they 
swept by us. It is useless to attempt any description of the 

69 


scenery. How surpassingly beautiful, and at times grand and 
magnificent beyond all the powers of description to express! 
We reached our camp at an unusually late hour, eight oclock in 
the evening, in a heavy rain and darkness, benumbed with cold 
and fatigued by the cares and labors of the day. Before leaving 
Jalapa, Colonel McIntosh appointed me to act on his staff as 
Assistant Adjutant General, and the duties of this position 
threw much more duty and responsibility upon me than I other¬ 
wise would have had. Indeed, I was but an attache, not properly 
on duty with this command, but simply going on with it to 
join my own regiment which was in Puebla. My services, how¬ 
ever, were needed, and I accepted the Colonel’s appointment. 
21 June. Marched seven miles today, which brought us to our 
present encampment under the walls of the far renowned Castle 
of Perote. On our route today the country has not been fertile 
and well cultivated, as on our preceding progress, still it was 
interesting in its appearance presenting many picturesque 
views, and some very extensive and beautiful landscapes. 

The Castle of Perote is situated near the south eastern side 
of an extensive and perfectly level plain, which is surrounded 
on all sides by mountains, the most remarkable of which are the 
Caffre de Perote and Pizarro’s mountain. The peaks of the 
former are seen from Vera Cruz a distance of ninety seven 
miles. 

The Castle is a large four bastioned fort, with small towers sur¬ 
mounting each of the salients. Its interior buildings and ar¬ 
rangements seem to have been constructed for the purposes of 
prisons and storage of supplies. It is surrounded by a deep 
ditch, with a counterscarp of cut masonry, which may, it is 
said, be filled with water to the depth of six or eight feet, by 
means of subterranean aqueducts. I do not think this can be 
so, since there is no apparent source for the amount of water 
such an operation would require. It is now perfectly dry. It 
is no doubt capable of making an obstinate resistance. Con¬ 
sidering the position and construction of this work it is difficult 
to conceive what object the Spanish government had in view 
in building it. It has, I believe, heretofore been used chiefly 
for: a National State Prison, and for that purpose it is very 
much needed under the present state of things in Mexico. 

The town of Perote is about a mile from the Castle, and is 
one of the most dreary, desolate looking places on the face of 

70 


the earth. In passing through the dirty streets the eye rests 
upon little else than old dilapidated walls, with here and there 
a passage way through them. Behind these walls sneak the 
inhabitants of the town, snakey and unsociable in their appear¬ 
ance, and each one looking as though nothing but an oppor¬ 
tunity was wanting for him to cut your throat or thrust a dagger 
into your back. 

The winds here are constantly blowing, are always cold, and 
the dust fills the air and your eyes. I do not believe a more 
uncomfortable place could be found. Fruits and veg¬ 

etables are scarce. The Meguey or Pulque plant (century plant 
of our climate), used for many purposes by the Mexicans, first 
begins to make its appearance here. 

The women look like old, ugly, withered hags, but in this 
country as in all others, some of the most admirable virtues and 
qualities of our kind are found among them. It is not unusual 
to find them faithful, benevolent, and affectionate, and in their 
estimation never sufficiently so towards the sick and unfortunate. 
As Providence designed women for the practice of such virtues 
among his creatures, it would be singular indeed, if they were 
not called into active exercise here, for, in no part of his creation 
can such services be more needed than in this wretched country. 

22 June. . . Still in camp in Perote. Tomorrow morning we hope 
to take up our march again for Pueblo. It is rumored that there 
is a division of two or three thousand cavalry between here and 
there waiting for us, and that they have with them a battery 
of field artillery. They are lying in wait, it is said, to attack our 
train, which is well understood to be loaded with very necessary 
supplies for the Army. If they attack it vigorously, and with 
ordinary skill, it is possible they may succeed in doing us a 
great deal of damage, since our entire command, with the 
exception of a few individuals among the officers is made 
up of perfect raw recruits. This together with the encum¬ 
brance of a train four or five miles long may cause us some 
disaster. 

23 June. . . This morning received information that our forward 
march would be delayed until General Pillow, who is reported 
to be at Jalapa with re-enforcements, comes up. This will 
probably delay us here for some days. My time is so much oc¬ 
cupied in aiding Colonel McIntosh to organize this mob of re¬ 
cruits that I am unable to look about the place as much as I 

71 



wish to do. The weather continues dry, cold, windy, and 
dusty, and is very disagreeable. 

24 June. . Still in camp, trying to drill into some kind of dis¬ 
cipline this mustang command. A more heterogeneous, undis¬ 
ciplined compound of material called soldiers, I am sure never 
before was brought together in any Army. As the majority of 
the officers are more ignorant and difficult to instruct in their 
duties than the privates. When applying for their commission 
they could have had but a small idea of the duties they would 
be called upon to perform, and they certainly have not tried 
very hard to learn much about them since. They seem to have 
just found out that there is something to do on a campaign in 
an enemy’s country besides playing gentlemen. It requires an 
immense deal of patience to manufacture an army out of militia. 

28 June. . . Colonel Child’s Brigade left here this morning for 
the purpose of establishing a camp at Tepeyahualco, an ad¬ 
vance past eighteen miles from this. This movement was ren¬ 
dered necessary by reason of the scarcity of forage at this place. 
He is to remain at that place until we come up and join him. 
We are still waiting for General Pillow’s re-enforcements. 

29 June. . . . Captain Whipple of the 5th Regiment U. S. In¬ 
fantry attached to our command died last night. We buried 
him with military honors today in one of the salients of the 
Castle. Many of our men are sick, and many more will be 
unless we leave here soon. It is a very unhealthy place. 

1 July. . . General Pillow arrived here today from Vera Cruz 
with 2500 troops. He met with very little opposition on the 
way. His division is tolerably healthy, and a pretty good look¬ 
ing body of men. 

2 July. General Pillow has consolidated his command with 
General Cadwalader’s, and reorganized the whole division. 
Colonel McIntosh thinks injustice has been done to him, by 
not giving him a command proportionate to his rank. He re¬ 
monstrates with Pillow and requests either to have justice done 
him, or to be released from all command in the Division. Pillow 
refuses the former, and grants the latter. This releases me from 
my position as an Assistant Adjutant General to McIntosh, 
and for the rest of the way to Puebla, our destination, the old 
Colonel and myself will travel with this army as attaches. No 
one can feel more rejoiced at this than I do, for it relieves me 
from all duty, while I am yet too feeble for hard service. 

72 


3 July. Camp at Tepeyahualco eighteen miles from Perote, 
which place we left this morning on our homeward march for 
Puebla. The general appearance of the country is barren, the 
growth of timber is small, and water is scarce. The country 
continues level; with here and there a huge mountain, which 
seems to have been elevated from the plain by some great in¬ 
terior force. Between these, views are sometimes to be caught 
of a soft, and fertile valley winding around the mountains until 
lost to sight. 

4 July. . . . Starting at daylight this morning we marched 
twelve miles, and encamped at Ojo del Aqua for the night. This 
is a small, dirty Indian village. Its name signifies “eye of water,” 
thus named I suppose because of a spring which here gives rise 
to two small streams running in different directions. The 
country has pretty much the same appearance as that traveled 
over yesterday. This day being the anniversary of the decla¬ 
ration of independence, I can think of no better way, under 
present circumstance^, of celebrating it, than by eating as good 
a supper as I can get, and then going to bed and sleeping as 
well as I can. 

5 July. . . . Made a short march of seven or eight miles over 
a broken country. The water scarce and bad. 

6 July. . . Leaving camp at an early hour this morning, we 
marched twelve or fourteen miles over a beautiful country, in 
a much higher state of cultivation than any I have seen before 
in this country. The principal productions are corn, barley, 
and beans. As we were approaching the Pass of El Penal, a 
body of cavalry was discovered on our right flank, occupying a 
large field; their force concealed by an elevation of ground. 
Captain Blake, with a squadron of 150 dragoons, was sent out 
to reconnoitre. He discovered that the body was seven or 
eight hundred strong. It moved off as he approached, towards 
a considerable town some three or four miles distant. Our 
cavalry force being too small to pursue, and the ground being 
impracticable, or difficult for any other kind of force, we con¬ 
tinued our march after capturing one or two prisoners. This 
was probably the body, it was rumored when we left Perote, 
would oppose our march. The prisoners that we took said it 
was their intention to attack our train. We are encamped for 
the night at El Penal. 

7 July. . . . Starting at Sunrise, a march of twelve miles brought 

73 


us to the town of Amezoque. When we arrived here, we learned 
from General Smith whom we found here with his brigade, that 
General Scott had been informed that we had been attacked, 
and were surrounded by the enemy and needed assistance. On 
learning this it seemed Scott sent Smith to our assistance. We 
encamp tonight in Amezoque. This town is celebrated for the 
quantity, and quality of spurs, and bridle bits that are made 
here. In its appearance it is a dilapidated place—everything 
going to decay. It is ten miles from Puebla. The surrounding 
country is rich in soil and tolerably well cultivated. On our 
march today we passed through the town of Noplalucan, famous 
for making the best bread in the Republic. Judging from the 
specimen I saw it well deserves the reputation it has, for I never 
saw more beautiful bread in my life. In my own country I 
never saw anything that could nearly equal it. 

8 July. . . This morning we entered Puebla, having been six 
days in marching from Perote to this place. On my arrival 
here my first care was to find where the old 4th was quartered, 
which would be, of course, my home. 

17 JULY. A wish having been expressed by several officers, to 
visit the renowned pyramid of Cholula, the general gave his 
permission that the 4th Artillery might accompany those who 
wished to gratify their curiosity by a visit to this ancient ruin. 
We left town about seven o’clock in the morning; a march of 
seven miles brought us to the pyramid. It presents very much 
the appearance of a natural mound in its present condition, 
having lost the symmetry and regularity which it still shows 
some indications of having at some time possessed. It is now 
covered over with a rich vegetation with here and there a few 
small trees. A gradual slope, or paved camp carries you about 
half way to the top, and from this point there is a flight of stone 
steps leading to the summit. The ascent is on the north-western 
side. There is now standing on the top of the pyramid a small 
chapel dedicated to the “Virgin of Remedies.” This wonderful 
structure of a people of which we know nothing is built of adobe, 
or sun dried brick. There is still remaining of it four stories or 
terraces. It is said that in cutting a road some years since, 
through the lower terrace, two human skeletons, and some 
works of art were discovered in a stone chamber which was laid 
open by the operation. From the chapel on the summit a mag¬ 
nificent view is presented of the perpetually snow crowned 

74 


Popocatapetl, and its gigantic rival Ixtaccihuatl, or the “ white 
woman”. Near the pyramid are the site and ruins of an 
ancient, and once populous city of Cholula. It was here that 
Cortez gave the simple Indians such a terrible, and bloody 
example of the fate of those who dared to deal treacherously 
with him. 

6 August. . . Tomorrow the army begins its movement for the 
City of Mexico. Miller’s company A, the one to which I have 
been attached since I joined the army, is designated to remain 
here as a part of the garrison of this place. By my application 
I have been transferred to Company C (Ridgley) and will go 
with the army. This company arrived from Vera Cruz today, 
in charge of a light battery. Getty came with it. 

7 August. . This morning Twiggs’ division 7 left Puebla in the 
advance for Mexico. This division is composed of the 1st and 
4th Artillery 2d, 3d, 7th Infantry, Rifle Regiment Detachment 
cavalry and Taylor’s field battery of Artillery. The country 
over which we have passed today is level, soil fertile, cultivation 
tolerable. Encamped to-night at Rio Prieto, 11>£ miles from 
Puebla. 

8 August. . . Left our camp at Rio Prieto at five o’clock in the 
morning and arrived at our present camp, San Martin, at half 
past eleven A. M., distance today eleven miles. The country 
still continues level. We have not yet left the plain of Puebla. 
Soil fertile and presents an appearance of good cultivation. 
We seemed to have been moving today almost at the base of 
the snow mountains, although 20 miles distant. Our elevation 
is so great, and the air, in consequence, so rarefied that distant 
objects seem to be much nearer than they really are. While 
we were scorching in the torrid sun, it was somewhat difficult 
to conceive that the immense white caps of these mountains 
was really snow. The magnificence of the scene can be under¬ 
stood only by those who have been so fortunate as to witness 
it. No ordinary exhibitions of the grand and beautiful in nature 
can much excite the feelings of one who has passed over the 
national road from Vera Cruz to the capital of Mexico. From 
the start, it is one continually varying scene of beauty, mag¬ 
nificence, and grandeur. No one has yet attempted, or at least 
succeeded, in describing the features of nature as they are here 
presented, and in consequence, they are comparatively but 

7 See also, Ripley's War with Mexico , II, 17-18. 

75 




little celebrated. This is my birthday, and I have actually for¬ 
gotten how old I am. 

9 August. . . Camp at Tesmolucas ten miles from San Martin. 
After leaving the latter place the country becomes more broken, 
gradually rising as you advance. It is fertile and well culti¬ 
vated. A wooden fence is seldom to be seen in this country; 
its place being supplied, either by a ditch, or a row of aloe or 
maguy plant. This plant makes an enduring and an impen¬ 
etrable fence, by being planted in rows so close together that 
the branches and leaves may intertwine. Thus it makes a 
barricade that neither man nor beast will desire to penetrate. 
Either a picket of the enemy, or a gang of guerillas was dis¬ 
covered in our front today; they fled on our approach. General 
Scott joined our division last evening at San Martin. There is 
a diversity of opinion among us as to whether we will have a 
fight before we reach the capital. It is possible we may, but 
not very probable. 

10 August. . . Camp at Venta de Cordova, eighteen miles from 
Tasmoducus. The route today has been over a most excellent 
road though gradually ascending. The country abounds more 
in timber than here-to-fore. The growth is principally pine and 
more abundant than I have seen in any of our previous marches. 
We found also plenty of fine cool water. Although it is now 
what is called the rainy season, we have had very favorable 
weather for marching. There has been some rain but not until 
the march for the day was finished, and all snugly stowed away 
in camp. In the middle of the day the sun is hot, but the air 
is cool and pleasant. The nights are uncomfortably cold. .Was 
up on picket guard all last night, in consequence of a report that 
was sent into camp by our advance guard that a large body of 
Mexican Infantry was in our vicinity, with the intention of 
surprising us. Nothing of the kind was attempted nor did I 
believe at the time, that the enemy would think of such an 
enterprise. After marching seven and a half miles, we came to 
the pass of Rio Frio. It was the intention of the enemy, at one 
time, to defend this pass. We found their deserted fortifications. 
It does not seem to me by any means to be as defensible a posi¬ 
tion as that of Cerro Gordo. Five and a half miles from Rio 
Frio we crossed the highest point of the range of mountains 
that divide the plains of Puebla and Tlascala from the valley 
of Mexico. A few miles beyond this point the valley of Mexico 

76 


opens before you. I have no language to portray even in outline 
its features. Indeed, words have not the power to convey to 
the mind any conception of it. As Niagara is the pride of waters, 
so is the valley of Mexico of lands. From the highest point of 
the range of which I have spoken, the road descends rapidly to 
the bed of the valley. 

11 August. Camp at Ayotta, nine miles from Venta de Cordova, 
We began our march at nine o’clock this morning. Last night 
a body of Lancers endeavored to reconnoitre our camp, but 
were discovered and driven off by our cavalry. General Quit¬ 
man’s divisions left Puebla on the 8th inst. and is now occupy¬ 
ing Chaleo, a considerable town to the left of the main road as 
you approach the capital. It is known that the enemy are in 
force at El Pinon, eight miles in advance of our present position 
and about eight miles from the capital. 

12 August. . . At nine o’clock this morning the 4th Artillery, a 
section of Taylor’s field battery and a squadron of cavalry ac¬ 
companied Captain’s Lee’s Engineers to make a reconnoissance 
of the enemy’s position and defenses at El Pinon. This is a hill 
rising abruptly out of the dry bed of the surrounding lakes to 
the height of 400 feet. It seems completely to barricade the 
approach to the city on this side. The waters of the lakes of 
Chaleo and Tuzcuco extend near to its base on the north and 
south. Our approach to the city was on the east. What may 
be behind the mountains on the west I am, of course, unable to 
say. It seems to be a very strong position and is well fortified. 
It will not be taken without a great loss on our part. General 
North’s division left Puebla on the 9th inst. and arrived in 
Chaleo today where he is encamped. 

13 August. . Pillow’s division left Puebla on the 10th inst. and 
arrived at Chaleo today where he has established his camp. 
Smith’s brigade (Briggs’s division) went to El Pinan in support 
of a reconnoitring party. General Scott has not yet made 
known his plan of attack on the city, and, of course much spec¬ 
ulation is indulged in, as to what will be. The general seems to 
have the perfect confidence of all his subordinates; little un¬ 
easiness is therefore felt as to the mode he may adopt in his 
operations. 

14 August. . . I have been out all day with my company recon¬ 
noitring Lake Chaleo, near the borders of which we are at 
present encamped. It was the object of this expedition to ascer- 

77 


tain whether there was a canal, as had been reported leading 
from this lake to another nearer the city, through which large 
flat boats could enter, and also whether there was an outlet to 
the lake. Our expedition was unable to accomplish either of 
these objects. This lake has an average depth of water from 
ten to fifteen feet. There are numerous islands floating about 
in it. These are formed along the shores of the lake, from which 
they are detached by strong winds and blown about from one 
place to another. They are covered by a rank growth of swamp 
grass. The lake is perhaps ten or fifteen miles in circumference, 
at one time evidently much greater. It contains but few fish, 
they are small, few water fowls, plenty of water snakes. No 
important military operations have been going on above board 
today. 

15 August. . . Sunday. All quiet as a calm before a storm, 
orders out for marching tomorrow morning at five o’clock. It 
is not known in what directions. The crisis is at hand which is 
to determine which is the greatest, Mexican folly or Yankee 
impudence; her folly in not coming to terms before we obtain 
possession of her capital, or our impudence in placing ourselves 
beyond support with an army of ten thousand men, to attack 
a strongly fortified city, containing a population of two hundred 
thousand, and defended by an army of at least thirty thousand 
men. History has no parallel to this, and all are anxious to 
know what the result will be. 

16 August. . . Left our encampment at Ayotha this morning at 
six o’clock, retracing our steps for a few miles, then turning to 
our right by a route leading through Chaleo, thus avoiding the 
fortifications of El Pinan. We had advanced about two and a 
half miles when it was reported that the enemy were in force in 
front of our column. The train was moved on, and as we came 
up the enemy appeared in the field on our left. His strength 
was variously estimated from six to ten thousand, a large pro¬ 
portion of which was cavalry. The second brigade of the di¬ 
vision was immediately formed in line of battle, and thrown 
forward to bring on an engagement. This brigade is composed 
of the 4th Artillery and the 2nd and 7th companies of Infantry, 
with these were united three pieces of Taylor’s battery. The 
1st Brigade was drawn up in rear to form a reserve. We ad¬ 
vanced rapidly towards the enemy for about half a mile, and 
then gave him six or seven rounds from the battery, when he 

78 


gave way, manifesting no disposition to engage us. We did 
not get within musket range. Some execution was done among 
the Mexicans since they left five or six dead horses on the field, 
and an officer’s hat with a part of his head in it. What number 
of men were killed could not be ascertained, since they were 
carried off. Our force was about three thousand. After making 
a halt for some time and being convinced that the enemy did 
not intend to give us a fight, we resumed our march around the 
lake to the western side of the city, whence the main part of 
the army had preceded us. We are encamped tonight two miles 
beyond Chaleo. 

17 August. . . Marched today about nine miles over as bad a 
road as ever was traveled. A force of five cavalry hung on our 
flank last night, but have not been seen today. Our route lays 
round the southern border of Lake Chaleo. The soil in this 
part of the valley is extremely fertile. A miserable kind of rice 
com seems, however, to be the only grain the natives try to 
cultivate. The stalk is very large and grows to a great height, 
but has very little grain in it. Of this rice there are immense 
fields, containing hundreds of acres. We passed through several 
Indian villages, the houses of which are constructed of mud and 
sun dried brick, and filled with miserable naked Indians. On 
every hand are indications of ruin and decay, none of prosperity 
and improvement. We are encamped tonight in a large mag¬ 
nificent olive orchard, to which is attached a mill for man¬ 
ufacturing the oil. 

18 August.Camp at Jochemilco eight miles from the olive 

orchard. It has been a very unpleasant days’ march, most of 
the time the rain has come down in torrents, and the road is 
horribly bad. Nothing but Yankee ingenuity and enterprise 
could have overcome the obstacles which we have encountered 
today. It may well surprise the Mexicans to see how we con¬ 
trive to get our heavy siege train and other ordinance over such 
places. A few guerillas showed themselves in our rear, one of 
whom was killed. General Worth’s division, which preceded 
us a day or two, has been reconnoitring the enemy’s position at 
San Antonia which is still some distance in the advance. While 
thus engaged the enemy fired on a party of our cavalry: the 
first shot killing Captain Thornton of the Dragoons. For the 
next few days we shall have plenty of work to do. 

19 August.Left Jochemilco for San Augustine where we 

79 




arrived about ten o’clock A. M. Immediately on our arrival 
we were informed that Pillow’s division was three or four miles 
in advance, endeavoring to make a road for the purpose of turn¬ 
ing the right flank of the enemy’s works at San Antonia. Twiggs’s 
division having its train at San Augustine, received two days’ 
rations in haversack, and moved on to support Pillow in his 
operations. We came up to his position at two o’clock P. M. 
Magruder’s and Taylor’s field batteries and the mountain How¬ 
itzer battery were the only guns we could bring to bear on his 
position. And this at such a distance that little execution was 
done by the Rifle Regiment, thrown forward as skirmishers, 
because engaged with advance parties. While the enemy was 
thus engaged in front of his line, Colonel Riley’s brigade (4th 
Artillery, 2nd, and 7th Infantry) moved to the right over ground 
considered by the enemy as impassable. He had selected his 
position under this supposition. Our route lay across a “Pedre- 
gal,” or in other words, over a series of dikes, fissures, and sharp 
rocks of volcanic formation. The object of this move was either 
to turn the enemy’s left flank, or attack him in the rear as cir¬ 
cumstance might determine. We succeeded with some annoy¬ 
ance from artillery fire in gaining the position we sought. Parties 
of cavalry were sent out to oppose us. These were several 
times repulsed with considerable loss. While we were engaged 
in reconnoitring and in watching the enemy from our position, 
Santa Anna made his appearance in our rear with a force of 
six or eight thousand men and a battery of artillery. The day 
was now drawing to a close. It was not known at this time that 
re-enforcements had been sent to us, across the “ Pedrigal,” and 
we, as well may be imagined, felt anything but confidence in being 
able to maintain our position. Our brigade consisted of only 
about thirteen hundred men, and we were surrounded by thou¬ 
sands. The ground, however, was favorable to us. In retrac¬ 
ing our steps for a short distance to the little hamlet of Con- 
trarius, which in consequence of broken ground, trees, and 
orchards, was not visible from the position we occupied, we found 
that Smith’s and Cadwallader’s brigades and some other troops 
had come to our assistance. Darkness soon ended all operations 
for the day. We had accomplished apparently little towards 
routing the enemy, and had suffered more than we wished to 
acknowledge. We had been subject to a heavy cannonading 
from the time the action commenced. The light artillery we 

80 


had employed was nearly used up, and we had gained nothing 
but our position. St. Johnston, 1st Artillery, killed at one of 
the batteries. Pillow planned the operations of the day, and at 
its close confessed himself unsuccessful, with little hope of 
gaining a victory should the action be renewed in the morning. 
Night closed in with black clouds hanging over us, threatening 
to deluge the earth. Soon the rain poured down in torrents. 
We had no shelter and everyone was forced to lie down where 
he stood. The fatiguing operations of the day however, had 
rendered us insensible to slight inconveniences. We had two 
or three hours of sleep before operations were commenced 
again. 

21 August. ... At three o’clock this morning, rain still pouring, 
we were noiselessly called to arms, and informed that the camp 
of Contrarias was to be stormed at daylight, and carried without 
firing a gun, at the point of the bayonet. Silently, we made 
our way through by-paths and ravines for about one mile and a 
half, which brought us to the rear of the enemy’s camp, at 
which point the assault was to be made. Before we arrived 
here, day had dawned, and our approach was discovered. The 
original plan of attacking, with the bayonet only, was abandoned. 
Nevertheless, it was determined that the assault should be made. 
The lateness of the hour resulted from the fact, that a portion 
of the troops had missed the way, and thus had become sep¬ 
arated from the rest. The assaulting columns were formed, and 
the command to advance was given. We marched within 
musket range, displayed our columns into line under fire: which 
done, the 4th Artillery, on the right, the 7th Infantry, on the 
left, and the 2nd Infantry, in the rear, forming a second line, 
the command was given to charge. In seventeen minutes the 
camp of Contrarias was ours. The spoils were twenty-two 
pieces of cannon, mostly heavy guns, great quantities of ammu¬ 
nition, hundreds of pack mules and horses, and about eleven 
hundred prisoners. Unfortunately, Valencia who commanded 
this force escaped. This was his invincible division, which a 
short time before left San Luis Potise to save the capital. Among 
the captured guns were two six pounders lost by O’Brien of the 
4th Artillery at the battle of Buena Vista. The regiment that 
lost them there recaptured them here. They were presented 
in perpetuity to the Regiment by General Scott on the field 
where the enemy lost them. Scott said he would have inscribed 

81 


on them, “Lost without dishonor and regained with glory.” 
The 4th Artillery occupied the captured camp. The remainder 
of Twiggs’s division together with Pillow’s started, immediately 
after this glorious victory to assist Worth, who had for two or 
three days been keeping the enemy in check at San Antonio. 
As soon as Valencia’s defeat had been made known to the re¬ 
mainder of the Mexican army, it hastened to abandon the works 
at San Antonia, since being turned they were no longer capable 
of good defence. They fell back on Churubusco, and the forti¬ 
fications at that point. The divisions of Worth, Twiggs and 
Pillow soon came up, and became hotly engaged. After a bloody 
conflict, which lasted for three hours, with great loss on both 
sides, victory again crowned the American arms, for the second 
time the same day. The Mexican force was about two and a 
half or three times greater than our own. In this action we lost 
many valuable officers. Captain Karney in command of a 
squadron of Dragoons most gallantly charged the retreating 
foe to the very gates of the city. In doing which he lost his 
arm, and performed one of the most daring and distinguished 
feats of the war, far surpassing May’s celebrated charge. There 
is no doubt that there was a want of distinction and regularity 
in the attack. If proper attention had been given to these 
points, our loss would have been less, and our victory more 
easily attained. Worth’s division marched from the field to 
the town of Tacubque, Twiggs’s to San Angel, Pillow’s to Mis- 
coac. Quitman remaining where he had been during the day, 
at San Augustine. In the engagement in the morning I received 
a musket ball through my right hand. 

21 August.Negotiations for an armistice going on. . . the 

anticipation of which caused Scott to withdraw his army yes¬ 
terday instead of following the enemy into the city, which in 
the opinion of all could have been done, without much loss or 
resistance. General Scott is severely censured by many for not 
making the attempt. He disregards these censures in his efforts 
to attain a great national object. He sacrifices a great temporary 
reputation in doing as he does. It is urged that the Mexicans 
are not sincere, that they are deceiving in order to gain time, 
and to recover from their recent discomfitures. Perhaps this 
is their object, but Scott has every evidence that ought to in¬ 
fluence reason, that as an advantage of this armistice they will 
honestly endeavor to reconcile the differences between the two 

82 



nations. By doing so, they will probably preserve the little 
honor that is left them, by saving their capital from conquest, 
and in averting the many evils that will be consequent to such 
a result. 

22 August. . . The armistice concluded yesterday. 4th Artillery 
quartered at Cozvacan. Myself in the hospital at San Augustine 
nursing my hand. 

27 August.No military operations in progress for the last 

few days. Much discussion concerning the armistice, and spec¬ 
ulations as to whether anything will result from it favorable to 
peace. The Quarter Master by virtue of an article in the ar¬ 
mistice sent a train of wagons into the city today, for the pur¬ 
pose of obtaining provisions for the army. The exasperated 
mob stoned the teamsters and mules. No escort accompanied 
the train into the city, one was sent with it but was not allowed 
to proceed farther than the city gates. Mexican authorities 
garanteeing the safe conduct of it. Santa Anna renders reasons 
and excuses satisfactory to General Scott for this outrage. 
Scott is severely censured by some for accepting any apology 
for such a flagrant insult and breach of faith. I am not suffi¬ 
ciently acquainted with the facts in the case to form any opinion 
on the subject. 

28 August. . . The recent excitement of the battles has in a 
great measure subsided, and a quiet impatience rests on every 
one. All the camps are full of rumors, started no doubt to 
furnish something to talk about. 

6 September. . . . One of the articles of the armistice stipulated 
that either party could terminate it by giving previously forty 
eight hours’ notice to the other. During the last three ©r four 
days the Mexicans have so openly and indecently violated its con¬ 
ditions that Scott resolved today to give the notice, although 
abundantly justified in immediately recommencing hostilities. 
Troops disposed in different positions to be ready to renew 
operations. 

7 Sept.This evening at six o’clock Riley’s brigade evac¬ 

uates Cozvacan and San Angle. . . . takes up a position near 
the city on the Riedad road. General hospital and depot es¬ 
tablished at Miscoac. Colonel Harney in command. My wound 
not allowing me to go with my regiment, I go to Miscoac. Orders 
were given tonight to organize a command for the purpose of 
making an attack in the morning on what is supposed to be an 

83 




iron foundry, standing at the base of Chapultepec. It is 
supposed that the enemy are using this for the purpose of 
casting cannon, shot, shells etc. and it must therefore be 
destroyed. 

8 Sept.Early this morning a dash was made on the foundry 

but the reception we received soon convinced us that the enemy 
was formidable, both in numbers and in position, and that with 
our plan of attack he could not be easily routed. More troops 
were ordered up by Scott, making our force in this engagement 
including infantry and cavalry, just 3251. Soon the action 
became general and lasted for about two hours. The enemy 
numbered not less than ten, or perhaps fifteen thousand men, 
posted behind strong entrenchments. This unexpected and un¬ 
desirable action resulted in a complete rout to the enemy, but 
not without severe loss on our side, at a time when every man’s 
life is precious. Our loss is estimated at 600 including many 
valuable officers. Some of these were killed on the field by the 
enemy after they were wounded. The gallant old McIntosh 
was on this field mortally wounded. A braver man never lived. 
The battle of “Molino del Rey” has spread a gloom over the 
army, in consequence of so great a loss of friends, war material, 
and the apparently barren results of the action. The enemy 
supposed it was also our intention to attack Chapultepec, which 
not being attempted as was positively ordered, gave him the 
idea that we had failed in our object, and it may be inspiriting 
him after the successive defeats of Contrarias and Churubusco. 
This battle was fought by General Worth’s and a part of Pillow’s 
Divisions. Captain Drum, 4th Artillery, commanding a field 
battery, gained great reputation in this engagement. Duncan’s 
light battery also did good execution. 

9 Sept.Great speculation as to the real point at which 

General Scott intends to attack the city. Threatens two or 
three points, for the purpose of disconcerting the enemy. 

10 Sept.There has been some firing today at our advance 

pickets. . . nothing of importance transpired in public: the 
General’s plan of attack is not yet divulged. 

11 Sept.Council of war held. . . . Twiggs with the 2nd 

Brigade of his division ordered to la Piedad. Pillow and Quit- 
man to Lacubuyu. A strong display of Lancers this evening 
in the direction of the city, which were driven in by a few rounds 
from McGruder’s battery. Steptac’s battery to be placed in 

84 






position tonight. The batteries on Chapultepec have kept up a 
close fire on us during the day. 

12 Sept.Batteries on, or near, la Piedad road opened 

early this morning. Others near Lacubuya have kept up a 
regular fire on the fortifications of Chapultepec during the day. 
It has been determined to storm the heights of Chapultepec 
early tomorrow morning. The storming party has been organized 
from various regiments. Lieut. Hill and Dr. Russy, 4th Ar¬ 
tillery, volunteer for this service. 

13 Sept.This morning all the guns that could be brought 

to bear on it, opened on the fortress of Chapultepec. At a con¬ 
centrated signal the cannonading on our part ceased, and our 
troops advanced rapidly to storm the height. The assault was 
vigorous, determined, and successful. This was thought by 
the Mexicans to be an almost impregnable point: yet by nine 
o'clock in the morning we were in possession of it. As soon as 
this work fell General Quitman’s division reinforced by General 
P. F. Smith’s brigade followed up the enemy as they retreated 
to the city by the Lacubuya road, in doing which, the men were 
well protected by the arches of a famous aqueduct, from a very 
warm fire that opened on them from the city. General Worth 
also brought up his division as the route commenced taking the 
San Cosme road in his advance on the city. He carried some 
outer works defended by the enemy, and towards night suc¬ 
ceeded in gaining a lodgment in the suburbs of the town. Quat- 
man followed up his successes until he had also gained a lodg¬ 
ment in the suburbs, at the garita de Belen. This point was 
hotly contested, nobly carried, and resolutely maintained under 
a destructive fire from the citadel and adjacent fortifications. 
It was here that the brave Captain Drum and Lieutenant Ben¬ 
jamin, 4th Artillery, fell mortally wounded, while at their bat¬ 
tery. Colonel Riley with his brigade is ordered to re-enforce 
Worth tonight. Worth has made good progress on the San 
Cosm6 road. The enemy are now driven entirely within the 
city, all their works having fallen. They still have possession 
of the Citadel, a most formidable work. 

14 Sept.During the early part of the night past, while 

our forces were busily engaged in taking advantage of the suc¬ 
cesses gained through the day, for the purpose of renewing 
operations with the morning, and after a few heavy shells had 
been thrown into the city, the civil authorities came and de- 

85 





manded a conference with General Scott, which being granted, 
they informed him that Santa Anna had fled from the city with 
all the forces he could induce to follow him, and that it could 
no longer be defended. An unconditional surrender followed 
this announcement. Early this morning our troops cautiously 
entered the city. They were fired upon from the tops of the 
houses and from out of windows by armed mobs, and struggling 
bands of soldiers, all of whom were no doubt anxious to incense 
us to such an extent that we would sack the city, in which event 
they hoped to obtain a share of the plunder. With the aid of 
artillery, and by breaking open houses, and ascending to the 
tops, we succeeded in killing and dispersing many of the lawless 
villains, not however, without suffering considerably from their 
firing. The 4th Artillery quartered tonight at the city prison 
near the Alemeda. 8 

15th Sept.The 4th Artillery received orders last night to 

take quarters in the national palace. The firing from house 
tops has been continued through the day. Our troops have 
been sent, in small parties, into different parts of the city proper 
for the purpose of dispensing these lawless bands, and of restor¬ 
ing quiet. Many of the Mexicans have been killed. 

16 Sept.Firing from the houses still going on though some¬ 

what subsided.. Every means has been taken to suppress it, 
both by General Scott and the civil authorities of the city. 

17 Sept.There has been very little firing today, the city is 

comparatively quiet, and our army is quartered in different 
sections of the city with a view to its defense. The sick and 
wounded are being brought in from the neighboring towns, and 
the indications of the late bloody conflicts are rapidly passing 
away. _ 


15 October.Between seven and eight o’clock a few morn¬ 

ings ago, while I was standing at a mirror tying my cravat, the 
heavy doors leading from my room on to the balcony in front, 
suddenly began to sway back and forth in a manner which I 
thought very singular and only to be accounted for by suppos¬ 
ing they were moved by the wind. I walked to the opening: 
there was not a breath of wind stirring. I placed the doors, 
which were very heavy, and about five inches in thickness, 
back in their usual position. I had no soone r done so than 
8 A park and promenade consisting of 40 acres. 

86 








they began to swing again. At this moment I felt a dizziness of 
the head and sickness at the stomach. I walked a few steps for 
the purpose of gaining a chair which stood near by, which I 
performed with the sensations and after the manner of a drunken 
man. These feelings lasted only for a few moments, but it was 
some time before I ascertained the cause of them. It seems 
that without suspecting it, I had had the pleasure of experienc¬ 
ing the sensations of an earthquake, which severe as it was I 
did not divine at the moment. The pools of water standing 
about in the streets were visibly affected by it, long lines of 
buildings could be seen to wave and heave causing the occupants 
to leave them in terror, not wishing to be buried in the ruin 
which threatened them. The Mexican population seemed to be 
more affected by the threatening danger, than those who were 
less accustomed to it. Merchants left their shops, coachmen 
jumped from their boxes, muleteers left their mules, those who 
were in their houses came out, and all fell on their knees on the 
ground, and crossing themselves muttered their Aves to the 
holy mother that she would interfere and avert the impending 
calamity. I am of a naturally curious disposition, fond of 
witnessing unusual exhibitions and grand phenomena in the 
heavens and earth, yet I hereby declare my curiosity is abund¬ 
antly satiated in regard to earthquakes. Since the occurrence 
of this grand shock, there have been several others perceptible, 
though not in apy way alarming. 

I am much disappointed in the size of the city of Mexico. 
From its population, which is said to be about two hundred 
thousand (and I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of this 
estimate) I expected to find it a much larger city. I am sure 
an American town containing fifty thousand inhabitants would 
cover as much ground. It is not unusual here for eight or ten 
persons to occupy one room. The streets are perfectly straight, 
level, and laid out at right angles to each other. It is by no 
means an uninteresting sight, standing at the head of one of 
them to look towards the other end. What a motley crowd of 
human beings, animals, and things which it would be difficult 
to class with either the human or brute creation! Extending 
the view you catch a glimpse of the distant fields, and still 
farther off, limiting the vision, are to be seen rising into noble 
heights the hills which encircle this lovely valley. The popula¬ 
tion of Mexico is a mixed crowd. There are still remaining a 

87 


few families of immediate Spanish origin, and many who are 
descendants, or are anxious to be considered as descendants, of 
Spanish ancestors. In this class may also be placed some who 
are of pure Mexican descent. These constitute the aristocracy 
of the country. They are generally very wealthy, possess more 
or less refinement, are hospitable, proud and vain, and I am 
forced to add most singularly ignorant. The tradesmen are 
mostly foreign French and English, very few respectable Amer¬ 
icans are to be found among them, our countrymen being gen¬ 
erally represented by roving adventurers. The Liperoes con¬ 
stitute the great bulk of the population. They are idle and vi¬ 
cious, have no regular employment, and live in the streets. They 
subsist on what they steal and beg, sometimes obtaining pos¬ 
session of old books, old clothes, or gaudy trinkets, which they 
hawk about trying to sell them at enormous prices: but they will 
take any sum one is pleased to give. The Indians of the surround¬ 
ing country, every day flock into the city in great numbers to 
find a market for their products, consisting mostly of vegetables 
and fruits. They supply the wants of the city in these produc¬ 
tions. As a body they are honest, and laborious but their 
efforts not being directed by any intelligence suffice only to 
afford them a bare subsistence. They are little elevated above 
brutes, yet knowing no higher state of existence, seem to be 
contented and happy. What I have been least able to compre¬ 
hend in the organization of society in this country is the influ¬ 
ence which the Roman Catholic priesthood possesses over all 
classes of people, high and low, rich and poor. It is incompre¬ 
hensible to me how reason, common sense, natural instinct, can 
become so utterly subverted as to tolerate, yes venerate, an 
institution, dignified by the name of religion, which is so im¬ 
pious, tyrannous, and corrupt, as the church of Rome in this 
wretched country. Its ministers have most certainly stolen the 
garb of the court of Heaven to serve the devil in: and dressed 
in this garb they dare to stand at the altar professedly erected 
to the worship of God, and with their own souls reeking in the 
foulest sins to pronounce in the name of the Almighty, absolu¬ 
tion and forgiveness to those who in comparison to them are 
pure of heart; and from these priests they must receive advice, 
spiritual counsel, and the aid necessary to direct their steps to 
heaven. Though few there must be some of the clergy who are 
virtuous and pious men, otherwise such corruption would de- 

88 


stroy itself. As it is, it cannot be that the time is far off when 
the light of truth will dispel this wonderful illusion, and pure 
temples of Christianity rise up in those places where now stand 
grand cathedrals, gloomy, mysterious convents, and eccle¬ 
siastical whore-houses. There are many magnificent edifices in 
the city of Mexico, surpassing anything of the kind I have ever 
seen before. Among them the Cathedral and Minesia, or Col¬ 
lege of Mines, take the first rank. The National Palace is a 
very extensive building, having a long front, and presents 
rather an imposing appearance. The Museum, insignificant in 
comparison with what it might with little trouble be made, 
contains many objects of great curiosity: such as, the house¬ 
hold and agricultural utensils of the Aztecs, the grotesque figures 
which expressed their ideas of superior beings, and many things 
illustrating the state of arts and sciences among that singular 
people. Montezuma’s dial, and the armour of Cortez, are still 
preserved. The famous aqueducts which supply the city with 
water are indeed grand works, comparing not unfavorably with 
any similar works of the age. 

1 November.A train of about three hundred wagons left 

the city today en route for Vera Cruz. The first train that has 
gone down since we left Puebla. Many wounded and sick officers 
go with it. Colonel Harney in command. 

13 Nov.Visited today the fortifications at Churubusco, 

Mexichalsugo, and Pinan. General Scott and many other 
officers in the party. Lovely day and I enjoyed the ride very 
much. The distance by the route we followed is about twenty- 
three miles. For a part of the way we skirted what were formerly 
the Salt Lakes of the valley, but which are now shrunk into the 
dimensions of shallow marshes. The borders of these are covered 
with a white incrustation of salt. The plains in the vicinity of 
these marshes are apparently barren and unproductive, owing, 
I suppose to the soil being so impregnated with salt, arising 
from overflows and evaporations. I climbed to the top of El 
Pinan where I had a magnificent view, of the surrounding valley 
with its lakes, its ancient city and lesser villages. It was no 
inconsiderable satisfaction to look down on the plain below, 
where on the fifteenth of August, with a mere handful of men we 
had lain the entire day eying this noble eminence, begirt with 
fortifications and guns from its base to its summit, anxiously 
speculating on the result of our wonderful enterprise. The re- 

89 




suit is now known. It is well, I think, that we did not attack 
the city at this point or at Mexichalsugo, both are by nature 
very strong positions, and would have been difficult to carry. 

18 Nov.A mail arrived today from the United States. I 

received three letters from Clint, latest date August 21. Not 
very late, to be sure, but I had not heard from home before these 
since May. No letter from any of my sisters. 

20 NOV.Rumor says that the 4th is going to Vera Cruz 

to garrison that place. The move is not wished for much by 
some of us. I am almost indifferent about it. Would like to 
spend the winter there, but unless the war terminates there is 
no hope of getting away, and I had rather take my chance 
on the sulphurous field than to fall by the vile vomito. That 
which has no remedy, however, must be borne. 

25 NOV.Tonight came off the first genuine revel in the 

halls of the Montezumas. The officers of the 2nd division of 
the army, commanded by General Twiggs, who is about to leave 
us for Vera Cruz, complimented the old General by giving him 
a dinner in the National Palace. Being in this division since its 
first organization at the siege of Vera Cruz, I was one of the 
number present. It was a most magnificent affair. 

It is rumored that Mr. Trist, our commissioner, has been re¬ 
called. Not knowing at Washington what may be the condition 
of affairs here, it is singular if he has been recalled uncondi¬ 
tionally. It is my opinion, however, that the sooner he leaves 
the army, the better will be the prospects of peace. It is ques¬ 
tionable whether it was good policy to send him here at all. It 
is said, that General Scott for the thousandth time has received 
instructions to prosecute the war with more severity. The 
Mexican Congress at Querotaro broke up some days ago. It is 
rumored that troops are collecting there. Doubtful. 

29 NOV. ... It has been very cold for a few nights past, a heavy 
white frost appearing in the morning. Old Popocatapetl is 
covered with snow near to his base. An hour or two after the 
sun rises all is warm and bright as nature ever is when she 
smiles. The old white-haired king of mountains proud, cold, 
and stern, scorns to smile. From his haughty, noble features, 
one seems to read his history. An insubordinate, rejected child 
of the sun, hurled from his burning home, to suffer as penance, 
the reverse torments of eternal winter. No less noble than women 
may be, without suffering diminution, is she whom he has se- 

90 





lected for his bride. . Iztacutaitl. There side by side, among 
their people for thousands of years have they reigned, still re¬ 
fusing to admit the superiority of the sun. 

4 December.Today with another pleasure party I visited 

the pretty village of San Angle, the battle field of Contrarias, 
and the renowned pueblo de San Augustine. In riding over the 
battle field, engaged in many pleasant reminiscences. Save the 
fort scarcely a vestige of the bloody carnage remained. The 
village of San Augustine lying eight or ten miles south-east of 
the city of Mexico is a great place of resort during three days of 
the month of June. The principal amusement is gambling. 
It is sometimes carried to a most startling extent, thousands of 
dollars being staked on the turn of a card. 

12 DEC.I am officer guard at the Acosdada, and in con¬ 

sequence have been prevented from witnessing the celebration 
of the festival of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the shrine of the 
goddess erected on the spot where she made her first appearance 
to the Indians. This is the most noted of all the f$te days in 
Mexico. Thousands resort here from all quarters, particularly 
Indians, to make their offerings and their worships. There is 
not a house in which her image will not be found, and in all the 
churches she is the prominent deity. As the fable of her first 
appearance is curious, and as it is so implicitly believed among 
all classes here, I have preserved a very good narration 9 of it 
which will be found in the back of the book. 

17 DEC.General Orders No. 376 published today. This 

order announces one of the most important events of the war. 
The policy, which it declares will hereafter be pursued, entirely 
changes our position in this country and will undoubtedly cause 
the Mexican people to think more seriously of the advantages 
of a peace. This order relates to imposts, taxes, etc. and as far 
as practicable, to the military occupation of the entire country. 

18 DEC.Today, I visited the tower of the Cathedral, a 

spot from which I could overlook the entire city, and surround¬ 
ing valley. How unsurpassingly lovely was the scene, and how 
wonderful the associations connected with it! All the squalor, 
misery, and vice, which flourish here with such a rank growth 
were far below me. I saw none of the dark spots of the picture. 
Could I have forgotten that there were such, I would have had 

9 Newspaper clipping that is too extended for insertion in the Quar¬ 
terly. 


91 







no other desire than to spend the remainder of my days in this 
enchanted region. 

19 DEC.A beautiful morning. Rode out to meet Colonel 

Johnston’s train on its way from Vera Cruz. After a ride of 
fourteen miles, met the train at Ayotha. As the day was rather 
far advanced, we, that is, Brown, Getty, and myself were in¬ 
duced to remain in camp for the night. In the evening, I at¬ 
tended a meeting of the Altinators, a society of officers formed 
for the promotion of wit, fun, and good fellowship. They were 
surely as rare a band as one can meet with, at twelve o’clock I 
went to bed, that is, I lay down on the ground and pulled a 
blanket over me, after having taken a goodly number of hot 
punches, shared in a roast pig, and exhausted myself by hours 
of immoderate laughter. Was fresh in my saddle by sunrise 
in the morning, and started for the city, arriving in due time. 

20 DEC.Captain Snead arrived today with company M. 

of the 4th. Within the last four or five days, Generals Butler, 
Lane, Cushing, etc. have arrived. Scott has recently reorganized 
his army, mixing up the old veterans with the new arrivals. 
The “Cerro Gordo Division” (Twiggs’s) has lost its identity by 
this new arrangement. The old veteran “Contrarius Brigade” 
(Riley’s) is swallowed up in the same mixture. The 4th is now 
in Cadwallader’s brigade, which is composed of the 4th Ar¬ 
tillery, 1st, 6th, 8th, & 11th Infantry, and Stepton’s light battery. 
Alas, when will human calamities cease! 

25 DEC.Christmas! the second I have passed in this 

country. Whether it was this fact or some other that made 
me so merry this evening, I can not exactly determine. It may 
be a combination of causes, producing a combination of results, 
which will explain and illuminate the truth of the matter. Moved 
today from the Convento de Profeso to No. 6 Collegion de 
Santa Clara, a house occupied by the lady of General Pena y 
Barrezan. I like the house exceedingly, or rather I should say, 
a sweet and charming senorita exceedingly, who is one of the 
occupants, and a daughter of General Barrezan. I am afraid 
her proximity will endanger my patriotism. 

26 DEC.The 9th Infantry, Col. Withers commanding, 

left town today for Pachuca. Lieut. Hill, 4th Arty, and twenty 
men accompany the command in charge of two pieces of artillery 
(8 Rds.). Pachuca is a small town about sixty miles west of 
north of Mexico, situated on the border of the state of Quer- 

92 






etaro. Near it is a large mining company, “Real del Monts.” 

27 DEC.Nothing of importance transpires today. It is 

rumored that a general move will soon be made north. 

30 DEC.Rumour says, that Davie Hill has had his pieces 

taken from him that Generals Scott, Worth, Pillow, and Colonel 
Duncan, the three latter in arrest, are ordered home to have 
their conduct investigated: that General Worth is to relieve 
General Smith as civil and military governor: that General 
Cushing is to relieve Smith as governor &c, &c, &c. 

1848 

1st January. . . According to custom I visited some of my 
friends this morning (New Year) Found them all happy, some 
very happy, was tolerably happy myself. As the sun went 
down, I went up. As the moon went up, I didn’t go down, and 
when Phoebus rose, I went to bed rather happy. 

2 JAN. . . . General Valencia was taken prisoner at his hacienda 
last night, by Colonel Wynkoop, (Penn. Volts.) with a party of 
Texans. Colonel Wynkoop went out for the purpose of cap¬ 
turing the famous priest and brigand, Jaranta. With Gen. V. 
was also taken Col. Arrietas, one of the General Staff. Today 
orders were published to our brigade (Cadwallader’s) to hold it¬ 
self in readiness to march on the 5th Inst. Toluca, forty-five 
miles south-west of this city is supposed to be our destination. 
I am appointed ordinance officer to the brigade. 

4 JAN. . . . This morning Cadwallader’s brigade left the city of 
Mexico en route for Toluca, marched 14 miles and encamped 
tonight at Guaemulpu. After leaving the basin of Mexico, the 
country over which we passed today, has a black, barren, vol¬ 
canic appearance, sparsely inhabited, and cultivated only in 
spots. We found but little water, and no timber. From Tacu- 
baya, which lies in the basin, and only three miles from the 
Capital, the road gradually ascends. It is in excellent condition, 
perfectly smooth and hard. As we ascended the hills the en¬ 
chanted valley, which lay spread out like a map before us, re¬ 
quired no great effort of the imagination, to throw over it an air 
of romance, far surpassing that of the most fabled lands of an¬ 
tiquity. There were the shining lakes, and the fields and groves, 
enriched by human gore. For, age upon age, these had wit¬ 
nessed the many fierce struggles of men contending for power, 
for plunder, and for liberty. Savage with savage, civilization 
with semi-barbarism. Amid all this havoc there these valleys 

93 




were, unchanged, quiet, beautiful. Conspicuous above all rose 
the mound of Chapultepec, the favorite resort of Aztec kings: 
still shaded by the grove of tall cypress trees, under whose out¬ 
stretched arms effeminate and irresolute Montezuma once held 
royal fetes, and Indian maidens wove their garlands of flowers, 
destined to deck the brows of the successful braves. Alas, how 
little was then foreshadowed the fate of this lovely valley! 

It is rumored that the brigand priest, Jaranta, has a force in 
our advance, 8 or 900 strong, with which he intends to dispute 
a pass through which our route lies. There is no probability 
that he will do so. The day has been lovely, but we are in re¬ 
gions so elevated now, that the nights are uncomfortably cold. 
7 JAN. . . . Camp at Lerma, 15 miles from Guaemalpu, which 
place we left at an early hour this morning. In our progress 
today we continued to ascend for about five miles, when we at¬ 
tained, at “Las Cruzes”, the highest point of the range of 
mountains over which the road passes, that divides the valleys 
of Mexico and Toluca. Here we caught the first glimpse of the 
“Valley of Toluca”. It burst unexpectedly on our sight, lovely 
and beautiful as the brightest imagination can picture it. From 
this point, we commenced a rapid descent, with the town of 
Toluca and the one in which we are quartered for tonight, con¬ 
stantly in view. At the base of the mountains is the town of 
Lerma. It is small. The houses are built mostly of adobe. 
The inhabitants are principally Indians. Until we got into the 
valley there did not appear much evidence of cultivation. The 
country over which we passed the first part of the day has a 
volcanic appearance, black, barren, and very much broken up 
by deep ravines and yawning chasms. Mountain streams were 
abundant, affording us a noble supply of delicious water. There 
is also a very good growth of pine trees along this part of the 
road. About six miles before reaching Lerma, we came to the 
pass where it was supposed Juranta would make his stand if he 
intended to oppose us. At this place the road winding around 
the base of the hill crosses a deep ravine, over which is con¬ 
structed a massive stone bridge. On the opposite side of this 
ravine, to our approach, the Mexicans had thrown up a line of 
fortifications, consisting of three field forts, completely com¬ 
manding the pass. Although the place looked formidable, I do 
not think it would have been difficult to carry, had the enemy 
attempted to maintain it. Also we found on approaching Lerma 

94 


that a line of fortifications had been constructed commanding 
the usual entrance to the town, which was by a narrow cause¬ 
way. The town is surrounded by impracticable marshes, which 
would have given us some trouble, had any opposition been 
made to our advance. But in place of meeting with bayonets 
and cannon, we were greeted with white flags, one of which hung 
from every hovel and house. 

8 JAN.Toluca, 11 miles from Lerma. We arrived here 

today about one o’clock A. M. From Lerma to this place the 
road is perfectly straight, and level, running longitudinally 
across the bed of the valley. The soil is very rich, and it is said 
cannot be surpassed in fertility by any other part of the country. 
Certain it is, evidences of cultivation are superior to anything 
I have seen in other parts. There is no timber in the valley, 
though an abundance of pine on the mountains which hem it in. 
There seems to be very few running streams. There are a few 
small lakes or ponds. When possible the owners of the haciendas 
cause large ponds to be constructed on their estates. These, by 
means of aqueducts, are filled with water, which is drawn for 
purposes of irrigation. This process is very necessary during a 
part of the year as the earth becomes very much parched for 
want of rain, which rarely falls during the latter part of autumn 
and winter. The entire valley is beautifully dotted over with 
Indian villages and haciendas. A hacienda is an estate owned by 
a landed proprietor. They are sometimes very large, frequently 
containing thousands of acres. The land is tilled by Indians. 
The proprietors generally live in the cities, and employ some one, 
who is called the administrator, to manage the affairs of the 
estate. Each one is a little village, or society by itself, making 
its own laws and executing them. As the form of religious 
worship is the first consideration of every Mexican, each ha¬ 
cienda has its chapel, in which all religious rites are observed. 
As crime is no less a characteristic, a prison is also attached. 
The principal productions of the valley are'corn, barley, and 
some wheat. 

The town of Toluca has a pretty appearance, is well built, 
and contains a population of about 6000. It is the capital of 
the state of Mexico. There is little pretension to fashion, or 
style, even among the higher classes. The greater part of the 
population are poor, miserable, ill clothed creatures. In a valley 
of such abundant production, one would hardly expect to see 

95 



the people picking up in the streets, the few kernels of corn that 
drop from our forage wagons as they pass along, yet such is 
frequently the case. I think there are more beggars in this 
town than in any other, in proportion to its population, in the 
republic. 

There are very few houses, or establishments in any part 
of the country for the maintenance of the poor. I have never 
been able to account for this, since there are probably more 
true objects of charity among these people than any other in 
the world. Deformed and contorted limbs are the most fre¬ 
quent afflictions. It is sometimes almost impossible to recog¬ 
nize in these horrible, revolting, and disgusting objects any 
traces of the human species. You stop to converse for a moment 
in the streets, and you are interrupted by a whining noise be¬ 
hind you. On turning to see from whence it comes, you behold 
an old woman, whom sixty years have bent nearly to the earth. 
The dirty rags that hang about her scarcely conceal the bones, 
that are protruding through her wrinkled skin. Her bleared 
and sunken eyes emit no light of life. She extends towards you 
her bony, withered arm on which there is a hand that never 
had but one dwarf finger; in tones of misery she begs for charity. 
Although I have now seen so much of this, it still makes my blood 
run cold to witness it. Total blindness is also very common. 
You can scarcely walk a hundred yards without meeting some 
blind beggar, led along either by a child, or by an equally in¬ 
telligent dog. The sidewalks are lined with them. They swarm 
around the doors of the churches and in every throughfare, 
chanting in most doleful strains their supplications for charity. 
In order the more to excite the benevolence of passers they 
strive to render still more hideous their horrible afflictions, by 
tw r isting into contortions their disgusting deformities, and roll¬ 
ing their sightless eyes. The very terror with which they in¬ 
spire me has sometimes prevented me from giving them alms. 
It does not seem that those who are able, are unwilling to main¬ 
tain these unfortunates, and I am unable to understand why 
public houses are not appropriated to them, in which they 
would be secluded, society being taxed for their support. How¬ 
ever, it may be that the church ordains that they shall hobble 
and crawl about, for the purpose of keeping alive and active 
the charitable and benevolent qualities of the people. If so, I 
am sure the devil suggested the plan, and laughs at its success in 

96 


hardening the hearts of men against the misfortune of their 
fellow creatures. 

This valley like that of Mexico, is a complete basin, sur¬ 
rounded on all sides by mountains. Among these is the Novada, 
or the Volcan de Toluca, a peak perpetually covered with snow. 
From the town of Toluca, it is a little west of south, about 16 
miles distant. 

20 FEB.Today, the report that General Scott had been 

recalled, or suspended from the command of the army, was 
confirmed: in consequence of which universal dissatisfaction and 
mortification prevail throughout the regular army, and of so 
much of the other part of the army as has the intelligence to 
comprehend what a blow its efficiency has received. I was 
prepared to witness almost every abuse of power, was not 
ignorant of the foul workings of a contemptible scheme of po¬ 
litical partyism, yet I did not believe Mr. Polk, or his advisers 
would dare to strike such a blow at the best interests of the 
service, and be guilty of such an act of flagrant injustice towards 
one who has so eminently served his country as has Scott as to 
suspend him from the command of this army, and at this time 
and place. It was well known that any mistake, failure, or mis¬ 
fortune, that might befall any of his operations would be for 
him, as it was for the generals of semi-civilization, a signal for 
his sacrifice. But he has made no mistakes, no failures or mis¬ 
fortunes have befallen him. His great abilities and honest pur¬ 
poses have triumphantly carried him over the enemy that was 
before him, and I had hoped would completely silence the dogs 
that were yelping on his track behind. It is impossible for an 
honest man to assign an honest reason for this infamous and 
disgraceful act. General Butler issues his order, taking com¬ 
mand of the army. 

24 FEB.Last night six men from Stepton’s battery de¬ 

serted in a body to the enemy, each man taking a horse and all 
his equipments with him. This is the most remarkable instance 
of desertion that has occurred during the war. It was occasioned 
probably by the prospects of a speedy peace and the temptation 
of a high reward. 

28 FEB.It is said another armistice has been agreed upon 

... for how long, or upon what terms, I do not know. 

1 MARCH. . . Gen. Butler reorganizes the army. Gen. Smith’s 
brigade is composed of the 4th Artillery, Taylor’s battery, 1st, 

97 




2nd, 3rd &- 7th, Inftys. Mounted Reg. Riflemen, and the Marine 
corps. 

6 March.Today the armistice was published, sanctioned 

by Gen. Butler and the Mexican authorities. It will be severely 
censured by our government, unless peace soon follows. It 
reads as though the Mexicans had dictated it to their con¬ 
querors. 

9 March. . . This day ends one year since with Gen. Scott’s 
army I landed on the coast of Vera Cruz. Who could have 
anticipated at that time that the coming months would be 
crowded with such great events. How many of those brave, 
gallant, and generous souls, full of life and lusty hope have fought 
their last good fight. To those of us who have had the good 
fortune to see its close, it has been a year full of hardship, danger, 
and suffering. How few know the cost of military glory! 

The Voltigeurs [light infantry] and 14th Reg. Infty. arrived 
in Toluca today from Mexico. They relieve the 6th. & 8th 
Infty. at this garrison, in accordance with the recent organization. 

15 March. Received intelligence of the death of John 

Quincy Adams. 

A full ripe shock lies mouldering. 

2 April. . . Relieved from duty as ordinance officer of the 3rd 
Division of the Army, on an application by Major Brown for 
my services with the regiment. 

3 April. . . . Intelligence that the Guadulupe Treaty of peace 
has been ratified, with some modifications, by the Senate of the 
United States reached the city of Mexico today. The alter¬ 
ations which have been made in it will not probably cause its 
rejection by the Mexican government. 

8 MAY.We are all patiently waiting for a sufficient num¬ 

ber of Deputies to arrive at Quintiso to enable the Chamber to 
proceed to a consideration of the treaty of peace, which, of 
course, is the all engrossing subject of our thoughts. There 
seems to be great difficulty in forming a quorum. 

22 MAY.Received information that the treaty had been 

ratified by the Chamber of Deputies. Peace is now considered 
as virtually made. The Senate will act upon it immediately, 
and there is no doubt it will sanction the treaty. Homeward 
bound at last! 

27 MAY. . . . We, this day, received information that the treaty 
had received the final action necessary to peace. The Mexican 

98 






Senate has ratified it. Orders are issued from the Headquarters 
of the Army in the city of Mexico, concentrating the troops in 
the city, preparatory to our taking up our homeward march. 
These are surely glad tidings. 

31 MAY. . . . This morning left Toluca en route for the city of 
Mexico. The Tolucans seemed very sorry to part with us. 
They protest that they have never, under their own govern¬ 
ment, enjoyed such a great feeling of security for their lives and 
property, as they have under ours. It is with no little concern 
that they see this protection removed. The inhabitants of Toluca 
are simple in their manners, and kind in their feelings. Leading, 
for the most part a contented agricultural life, they are less de¬ 
moralized than their countrymen. The only interest they seem 
to feel in political events is that the government may be honestly 
administered on an unchanging basis. 

In no part of the republic have I received so much kindness 
at the hands of Mexicans as at this place, and I certainly did 
not leave it without some feeling. I was forced to part with 
many good friends, with the conviction that I never should 
meet them again. Be it thus! I am homeward bound, and in 
this selfish consideration I find a counterpoise for all regret. 

2 JUNE.We arrived today in the city of Mexico, and are 

encamped on the Penan Plain outside the city. We expect to 
remain here until the 5th inst. when with the 1st brigade of 
Gen. Karney’s division we move towards Vera Cruz. Major 
Morris, 1st Infy. commands this brigade. 

Line of march back to Vera Cruz. 

5 JUNE, Camp at Ayotha. 

6 JUNE, Camp at Rio Frio 

7 JUNE, Camp at San Martin 

8 JUNE, Camp 3J^ miles from the city of Puebla. 

9 JUNE, “ at Amuzoque, 

10 JUNE “ “ EL PEnal 

11 JUNE “ “ Ajo del Aqua 

12 JUNE Camp at Tepeyahualco 

13 JUNE, Camp under the walls of the castle of Peroto, 18J^ 
miles from Tepeyhualco. There has been no change (save in 
the graveyard) in this place since I was here one year ago the 
21st of this month. It is the same desolate, inhospitable, vil¬ 
lainous town in its appearance as it was then. We are to remain 
here tomorrow for the purpose of resting our men, and of allow- 

99 



ing the troops in advance of us to get out of our way, it being 
inconvenient to move so close together. 

14 JUNE. . . The 2d brigade of our division arrived here, at 
Perote today. Gen. Karney this morning received information 
from Gen. Smith at Vera Cruz that there would be some delay 
in the arrival of transportation at that place. In consequence 
of supplies for the army being insufficient at Jalapa, the General 
has determined that his division shall remain encamped here, 
until he receives more favorable information of the arrival of 
ships to carry us home. We are all disgusted with this necessary 
arrangement. 

18 JUNE. . . Still at Perote trying to curb our impatience for 
an onward move, yet there is little hope of that for the present. 
I have been very busy for the last three days as Judge Advocate 
of a Military commission which has been in session in the castle 
for the trial of a band of robbers, which was apprehended in 
this vicinity a few days since. These men thirteen in number, 
formerly were attached to the army as teamsters, and were 
discharged from it in the city of Mexico. They formed an asso¬ 
ciation for the purpose of highway robbery. Each one possessed 
himself of a good horse and equipments and thus mounted they 
set out on their marauding expeditions. When the band first 
organized in the city of Mexico it contained forty men, the cap¬ 
tain of it being a Spaniard. I obtained sufficient proof of the 
guilt of those who were apprehended here to convict them. 

19 JUNE .... The Cerro Gordo Division was on parade today, 
probably for the last time, as a division, to witness the punish¬ 
ment of the robbers referred to above. I never saw a finer 
body of men. It is undoubtedly the best division ever on the 
American continent, and its gallant deeds will be long remem¬ 
bered. We will leave this place tomorrow. 

20 JUNE. . . Camp at La Haya, 19^2 miles from Perote. 

21 JUNE. . Camp at La Bandrilla, 9 miles from La Haya and 

miles from Jalapa.We are to remain at our present 

camp until transportation is ready at Vera Cruz to carry us to 
the United States. 

22 JUNE. . . This morning Major Morris, 4th Artillery, joined 
us with companies A & L. We left him behind at Puebla, when 
we passed through that city, where he had for some time been 
stationed with these companies. Gen. Worth’s division also 

100 



arrived here this morning thus bringing the “regular army” all 
together again. 

26 JUNE. . . Camp 4 miles from Jalapa, and 7 ^ from La Baud- 
rilla, which place we left this morning for reasons unknown to 
me. It was a delightful spot. So is this. We remain here a 
day or two. 

28 JUNE. . . . Camp at Eucesso, 9 miles from Jalapa. By very 
short marches we are gradually drawing nearer to the coast. 
Yesterday, we received the orders from Washington, designat¬ 
ing the different points in the United States for which the troops 
would sail, on leaving this country. The 3d and 4th regiments of 
artillery go to Old Point, in Va. 

Our proximity to the Tierra Caliente, or hot region, is be¬ 
ginning to be apparent in the increased fierceness of the sun. 
One of Santa Anna’s haciendas is located at this place. 

3d JUNE. . . . Camp at Plan del Rio, 14 miles from Encesso. 
We have suffered much from the heat today. About 11 o’clock 
we passed the famous heights of Cerro Gordo, and we encamped 
on the same ground that we occupied for several days previous 
to that battle. It is a low, dirty, and unhealthy place: the limit 
of the vomito. 

1 JULY. . . Camp at Puente de las Vigas, 19 miles from Plan 
del Rio. To day, we recrossed that stupendous work of art, 
the National Bridges. This part of the country abounds in 
grand and beautiful natural scenery. Today, we caught for 
the first time glimpses of the gulf of Mexico. Our march today 
has been very fatiguing. 

2 JULY Camp at Sante Fe, 17 miles from Puente de las Vigas. 
The day has been intensely hot. Some of our men, one or two, 
falling down dead from the effects of the sun. Water very bad. 

3 JULY. . . Once more at Vera Cruz, and our long march ended. 
It seems now as if going home, though I am sorry to say there 
is no shipping in the harbour ready for us. Why we were marched 
down here into this hot and deadly region to wait for transporta¬ 
tion to the United States is more than the wisest of us can under¬ 
stand. If ships have not arrived as fast as was expected, why 
were we not allowed to remain in the healthy region of Jalapa, 
until they were ready for us? There are at this moment, thou¬ 
sands of men congregated on this beach in the immediate vicinity 
of the fatal city of Vera Cruz. They have been hurried down 
here, from the upper and healthy country, expecting to leave 

101 


the coast, as soon as they arrived in it, but instead, they must 
remain here, no one can tell how long. In the meantime, if the 
yellow fever begins its ravages, who shall say what havoc death 
will make? Some one is culpable of unpardonable neglect of 
duty in thus unnecessarily exposing the army to the deadly 
influences of this climate. There really seems to be some diffi¬ 
culty in the minds of some men, in understanding to whom this 
blundering guilt should attach. Gen. Persifer F. Smith was 
ordered from the city of Mexico to Vera Cruz, weeks before the 
army began evacuating the country, for the purpose of making 
the necessary arrangements, and of superintending the embarka¬ 
tion of the army for the United States. He was to provide 
shipping, and as fast as he was able to procure it, to keep Gen. 
W. O. Butler, at that time commanding the army, informed, in 
order that the troops might be drawn out of the healthy region, 
only so fast as they could be embarked at Vera Cruz; it having 
been decided by the surgeons of the army, that the army could 
be withdrawn from the country, notwithstanding the lateness 
of the season, if this mode of effecting it, was adopted. But 
about this time Gen. Butler received the nomination for Vice 
President of the U. S. On his receiving information of this, 
like the politician that he is, and not a soldier, he immediately 
left his army to shift for itself, thinking undoubtedly that the 
health and comfort of an expectant Vice President were of more 
consequence, than the lives of a few hundred vile soldiers, 
whom the country no longer had any need of. The next in rank 
to Gen. Butler, Gen. Patterson of Penn, was as unwilling as his 
prudent predecessor to share any of the dangers which the 
army was necessarily exposed to, as the season advanced, while 
it was waiting for transportation. He, also, left the army be¬ 
hind him, and hurried to throw himself into the outstretched 
arms of a mistaken people, who were more generous than dis¬ 
criminating, in welcoming their soldiers home. It is true, neither 
of the gentlemen had ever shared in the dangers, or glories of 
the battle field with the brave men under their command, be¬ 
cause it was necessary that they should be at home attending 
to the political welfare of the nation, while these terrible deeds 
of blood were in progress in this country. It may be that this 
is the best reason, why they ought not to have been expected 
to remain faithful in the station of danger and responsibility 
which they have just deserted. The army being thus deprived, 

102 


at a very critical period, of a directing head, its movements have 
not been regulated with proper intelligence and system, at any 
time since it marched out of the valley of Mexico. Gen. Smith, 
however, was in the city of Vera Cruz, and knew how many 
transport ships were in the harbour, and it was his duty to have 
made known to the army, which, he was well aware, was ad¬ 
vancing towards Vera Cruz, that he had not enough ships to 
send off the troops as fast as they would arrive at the coast: 
then they would undoubtedly have been detained in the upper 
country until shipping had arrived. Therefore, I think Gen. 
Smith is properly answerable for the lives that must be sacri¬ 
ficed, through this strange blunder, or more properly, this in¬ 
famous operation. If he did give the necessary information, 
and notwithstanding, the army has been crowded down upon 
him, then, of course, he is not culpable. It is not generally 
understood that he did give such information. Every one is 
indignant that he is the subject of such unpardonable stupidity, 
whether owing to Smith, Worth, or all of them combined. It is 
hard, indeed, that these men who have just completed a long 
fatiguing march, who have endured every hardship without a 
murmur, and for their services are well-deserving, should be 
compelled to lie about in these burning sands, in this deadly 
climate for two or three weeks waiting for the arrival of 
vessels, all the time conscious that their sufferings have been 
unnecessarily brought upon them. Well, well, a soldier’s 
life is full of lights and shade! This is only an episode 
in ours. 

4 JULY. . . The anniversary of our national independence. 
May it be the last that will come round to me, under circum¬ 
stances like the present. The sun is hot enough to explode 
gunpowder! 

7 JULY. . . . Doctor Cuyler who has been with our regiment for 
a long time, and whom we all esteem very much, leaves us today 
for the United States. Lieut. Elminger has resigned, and also 
starts today for the White Settlements on the other side of the 
big lake. 

The doctors here present with the army have sent in a pro¬ 
test to Gen. Karney against the troops remaining any longer in 
this unhealthy position which we are now occupying. They 
have recommended, that those regiments which will not soon 
embark, be marched back into the country to some more healthy 

103 


situation. So it seems we have not yet finished our marching. 
There is no doubt a move will be ordered. 

8 JULY. ... In consequence of the protest made yesterday by 
the surgeons, we broke up our camp on the beach where we 
suffered from the intense heat and burning sands, but enjoyed 
a fine sea breeze and surf bathing, and we are now on our route 
for the town of Madeline, or rather, we have arrived in this 
town. It is situated south west from Vera Cruz, and about ten 
miles distant, the ground is low, the soil alluvial, the vegetation, 
rich and luxuriant, to a degree surpassing every thing of the 
kind I have seen else where. Indeed, so rank and rapid is the 
growth, that the air is strongly scented with the odours of the 
different plants: a combination that is offensive is thus formed. 
The Madeline river, at this place, twenty yards wide and one 
yard deep, runs by the town. Its waters are impregnated with 
sarsaparilla. During the rainy season this river becomes so 
much swollen as to overflow the town, thus causing much sick¬ 
ness. At other times the place is considered healthy, and dur¬ 
ing the hot months is a resort for the inhabitants of Vera Cruz. 
Every variety of tropical fruit flower, and bird is found here in 
abundance. Notwithstanding the eyes are ravished wherever 
they turn with these voluptuous beauties of nature, still one can 
not but feel that there is disease lurking in every green leaf, 
that it is warbled from the throats of birds. The lungs, as if 
instinctive of it, refuse to perform their office well, and struggle 
against the prison of this dank, close air. It smells like a grave 
yard. We had all of us rather have remained on the beach 
where we were yesterday, notwithstanding we were within the 
sound of the tolling bells of the vomito’s victims. We have 
been sent out here by men, who having committed a blunder, 
involving the lives, perhaps of hundreds of men, were fearfully 
desirous of shifting the responsibility from one source to an¬ 
other, an attempt as dishonest as it is difficult. 

My tent, in which I am writing this, is pitched under two 
large cocoa-nut trees. Oranges, limes, pine-apples, and bananas 
are growing on every side in profusion. From the genial appear¬ 
ance of this region, I am reminded of the country around Tam¬ 
pico. 

9 JULY. ... 1st and 3d Infantry left here this morning for Vera 
Cruz. The 4th Artillery is the only regiment now in camp 
here. 


104 


12 JULY. . . This morning we broke up our camp at Madeline, 
expecting that on our arrival at this place (Vera Cruz) all the 
regiment would immediately embark: but when we got here it 
was found that there were ships enough for only one half of it. 
Accordingly companies A, F, H, and L embarked, leaving 
companies C, D, and E to go by the first opportunity to come. 
Thus are we again (I am commanding compy. C) encamped on 
this desolate coast about which we have been so long hovering. 
If the wind freshens it may bring in some more transports to¬ 
night, in which event we will be able to get off tomorrow. 

13 JULY. . . . this morning at seven o’clock we embarked 
(companies C. D. and E) on board the transport ship Nonantum, 
650 tons burden, Capt. Lord, bound for New Orleans. Major 
W. W. Irwins commanding. Besides the three companies 
above named, we have on board 100 men who have been in the 
Quarter Master’s employ, and 41 prisoners, who have been con¬ 
fined in the castle of San Juan de Ulloa. Ten days since we ar¬ 
rived at this port, and during this time every care has been taken 
on our part, every rigid measure put in force to prevent our 
soldiers from going into the city of Vera Cruz, or in any way 
becoming affected with the yellow fever. It was for this cause 
we left here a few days since, and marched to Madeline. It is 
to see whether this frightful disease is going to make its appear¬ 
ance among us, that we are now bound for New Orleans (the 
nearest American port) instead of sailing directly to the distant 
place of our destination, Fort Monroe, Va., it being humanely 
considered, that if the event dreaded does take place, we, by 
thus shortening our voyage, will suffer the least possible from it. 
Now, what have all these precautions availed us? We have this 
morning been compelled to receive into our midst 100 men who 
have for days past been breathing the polluted and poisoned air 
of the grog shops of Vera Cruz and of its hospitals: and 41 others 
from the castle, in whose prisons the yellow fever had been busy 
in knocking off chains! What strange and unaccountable in¬ 
consistency! If there was an apparent necessity for thus hazard¬ 
ing the lives of these brave and well-deserving soldiers, who 
after a long and hard service in a foreign country, are now 
flattered with the hope of soon visiting again their families and 
homes, it would not be, perhaps such wanton inhumanity thus 
to throw in among them the leaven of a dreaded disease. But 
there is not the shadow of such a necessity. 

105 


I cannot say positively that General Smith caused these men 
to be put on the same ship with us, but, whether he did or not, 
he is certainly responsible for the consequences, for it was his 
especial trust to ship the troops, with the least possible exposure. 
I think, too, our immediate commanding officer, Major W. W. 
Morris has not made- as strong a protest against receiving these 
men on board as he should have done. 

14 JULY . . . We have not yet weighed anchor. Every one is 
asking why we don’t get under way, and no one can answer 
the question. 

15 JULY At nine o’clock this morning we weighed anchor with 
414 men on board for New Orleans. Never before did I leave 
any place with one half the pleasure with which I am now leav¬ 
ing the shores of Mexico. During the two years I have spent 
in that country, I have seen and suffered much. From savage 
and soft experience I have learned a stem lesson, never to be 
forgotten. In my future life it may not be altogether useless to 
me. Only to God be thanks, that I have thus far escaped the 
accidents of war, and the influences of an uncongenial climate. 
Our ship is a good one, and we all hope for a safe and speedy 
passage. 

19 JULY. ... At Sea. . . This is our fifth day out from the har¬ 
bour of Vera Cruz. We have had tolerably fair winds, and made 
corresponding progress. Several poor fellows have found a 
deep grave, or from the jaws of death have passed to the almost 
equally voracious jaws of sharks. Some of these, as was so 
reasonably anticipated, died of vomito, or yellow fever. The 
deaths, thus far, have been confined exclusively to those infected 
men thrust upon us from the city of Vera Cruz. 

21 JULY. . . . This morning at daylight, we hove in sight of 
the Belize, at the mouth of the Mississippi River. A thrill of de¬ 
light shot through the hearts of all, as we caught a glimpse of 
the home of comfort and civilization. A steamer came along¬ 
side, and took us in tow. We are now gradually making our way 
up the river towards New Orleans. 

22 JULY.This morning at sunrise the city of the south— 

New Orleans—greeted our eyes. On our arrival we found sev¬ 
eral transports which had left Vera Cruz before us, anchored 
in the river, ladened with troops. Among them were our friends, 
the other part of the old 4th, and we learned, that as soon as 
we could get ready, we would put out to sea again, and sail for 

106 



Fort Mounroe. During our passage here we have had several 
deaths on board, but the disease has not extended to our soldiers. 
We have been seven days on the passage, which, on the whole, 
has been as pleasant as circumstances would permit. The con¬ 
sciousness of leaving hostile for friendly shores, disposed all to 
feel lightly as possible the necessary evils of our situation. 

23 JULY. . . . Today my company was transferred from the 
good Nonantum to the transport Robert Parker. I am, by no 
means, satisfied with the change, but as I have nothing to say 
in the matter, it can’t be helped. I have spent most of the day 
in running about the city. 

25 JULY. ... At two O’clock this morning the transport Robert 
Parker, with companies C, D, and H, on board, Maj. H. Brown 
in command: Sabattis, with companies A. and E., Maj. W. W. 
Morris in command, and the Mary A. Jones with companies 
F. and L., Capt. W. P. Bainbridge in command left their an¬ 
chorage near New Orleans, and are now making their way down 
the river towards the sea. 

26 JULY.Crossed the bar at Belize, and hoisted sail for 

Old Point. We have made little progress during the day. Head 
winds. 

4 AUGUST. . . . For several days we have been beating against 
head winds, have been becalmed, and occasionally carried gently 
forward by favorable currents. A fine breeze sprang up during 
the night, which brought us this morning at sunrise, in view of 
the island of Cuba. It presented a bold and prominent outline, 
the highest peak of which was the Ran of Matanzas. The low 
southern coast of Florida has occasionally made its appearance. 
6 August. . . . We are now in the Gulf Stream, and making tol¬ 
erably good progress. A little to the southward of cape Florida, 
we passed a steamship bound south, supposed to be the Crescent 
City destined for New Orleans. 

12 August.Not a breath of air stirring. . . . While lying 

becalmed we were visited by a doctor from a transport which 
has been in our company for a day or two past. He came 
aboard to get a supply of medicine, his having given out. He 
reports, that he is direct from Vera Cruz, has one company of 
the 1st Artillery on board, has had a tedious passage, and that 
the yellow fever is raging among the men. They are bound for 
New York. The yellow fever made its appearance on board 
our ship, before we got out of the Gulf of Mexico, since which 

107 




it has ended the earthly troubles of many a poor soldier. When 
we left New Orleans we had on board about 250 men, of these 
nearly 100 have been attacked by this fatal disease. Some have 
recovered. The epidemic had its origin, no doubt, in those in¬ 
fected men that were forced among us from the city of Vera 
Cruz. Captain Snead Lieuts. Howe and Magilton are now 
lying sick with it. 

13 August. . . At two O’clock this morning we came to anchor 
in Hampton Roads, after a passage of seventeen days from New 
Orleans, and twenty-nine from Vera Cruz. I hope during the 
remainder of my life, never to be called upon again to undergo 
so much painful feeling, and personal suffering as I have during 
this voyage. It is not pleasant to think of. We had no terrible 
storms during the passage, and, indeed, much of the time not 
wind enough, since we did not make a very quick trip. We 
looked on the old Fort with great joy after so long an absence. 
I felt, for the first time, in many days, as though my troubles 
would now find a termination. I am weak, exhausted, worn- 
out, and not much better than a skeleton. If I had been, or am 
now sick I have not acknowledged it to my self. It is a singular 
coincidence that our friends of the Sabattis and Mary A. Jones 
who left New Orleans in company with us, should have arrived 
at Old Point the same day we did, since we parted company at 
the Belize, and had not seen each other until our arrival here. 
Neither of these transports were affected by the yellow fever. 
After receiving a cordial welcome home from our old Colonel 
Walbach, we busied ourselves in transferring our men from the 
ships to the Fort, and are now as snugly stowed away again as 
though we had not been absent. 

17 AUGUST . . I had scarcely passed a few hours on land, when 
I was seized by the yellow fever. During the days of the 14th 
and 15th, I do not know how much I suffered. However, the 
crisis soon passed, and I am now so far convalescent as to be 
able to think a little. I did not from the beginning see how it 
was possible for me to escape the fatal disease. My duty and 
humanity made it necessary, when on ship board, to take care 
of my men, many of whom were infected: for this purpose, I was 
in the habit of visiting the hold of the ship, in its narrow limits 
and confined air, we were compelled to place our sick. Those of 
my company were among the rest, and it was here that I breathed 


108 


in the rank poison. Indeed, no part of the ship could be free 
from it. It was infected in every part. 

19 August. . Today, brother William arrived from Washington. 
On his return to Lowville, N. Y., he will take Columbus, O. in 
his route. If I can get a leave of absence granted me, I shall 
accompany him home, provided he can stay here until I gain 
a little strength. 


109 








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